


Similarities

by Starlingface



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fantasy, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gryffindor Reader, Heavy Angst, Hogwarts Seventh Year, Hogwarts Sixth Year, Reader-Insert, Romance, Seer Reader - Freeform, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:00:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 34
Words: 48,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28961349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starlingface/pseuds/Starlingface
Summary: [Marauders Era.]With a friendship blossoming between herself and the Marauders, (Name) finds herself becoming involved with the secrets they hold. But what happens when she uncovers an ability that she hasn't possessed up until this point? And who will she go to when things start to get more and more complicated?
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Original Female Character(s), Sirius Black/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> quick warning: this fic contains violence, sexual and/or dark humour, and mentions of sex!

_"You're a tough one." The sorting hat mused. "You've got the qualities it takes to be sorted into both Slytherin and Gryffindor." A brief moment of silent followed until– "Something tells me you'd do best in... GRYFFINDOR!" The hat declared, giving rise to a chorus of cheers from the table of Gryffindors._

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

Six years ago, (Name) had no idea how harshly she would be treated. Yes, her parents had made sure to warn her about the rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin. _"I cannot stress this enough,"_ her mother had said. _"If you're sorted into Slytherin, Gryffindors will most likely be hostile towards you, or vice versa."_ They feared that their daughter would have the wrong impression. Her mother having been a Slytherin and her father a Gryffindor; but they couldn't have guessed how wrong they would be.

As soon as the word was out that her mother and father were from opposing houses and of different blood statuses on top of that, word had spread like wild fire. Within days, (Name) had been rendered the black sheep of Hogwarts. Because after all, how could a muggleborn Gryffindor like her father win the heart of a pureblooded Slytherin who most likely came from a family who despised muggleborns?

"They say her father gave her mother a love potion." Someone somewhere softly commented.

(Name) pinched the bridge of her nose irritatedly. _Way to be subtle._ She thought, letting out a big yawn. The girl didn't always care about the rumours. Hell, sometimes she could actually get a good laugh at how absurd the theories could and would get. But there were also times like right now, when she wished people would talk about anything other than her and her family.  
  
That being said, it wasn't as though her wishes would ever be granted since apparently, nothing else at Hogwarts was as interesting as her family roots. But her schoolmates' words struck skepticism deep into her mind. Since she'd started her first year, she too couldn't help but wonder how her parents could be polar opposites and still end up together.  
  
The witch thoughtfully ran her fingers down the pages of the book she had been reading, no longer able to concentrate on it. For a minute, she didn't know what she was supposed to believe. _What if dad really did use a love potion on Mum?_ (Name) mentally scoffed. What a ridiculous idea. Her father wasn't the type of person to do something like that. She would know, wouldn't she..?  
  
"(Name)? Are you okay?" The Gryffindor was brought out of her trance. She blinked away the burning feeling in her eyes, looking up to find her friend, Lily Evans staring at down at her with a concerned expression.

"Yea–? Oh uh yeah, I'm alright."

"Are you really? You've been staring at the same page for over five minutes."

"Oh yeah, no I'm fine!" (Name) reassured the redhead, flashing her a half-hearted smile.

Lily didn't say anything more as she sat down in front of the (h/c) haired witch. She opened her books, but then hesitated when she noticed which book (Name) was reading. "Do you want help with your potions homework?" She sighed. Merlin knew just how awful the (h/c) haired witch was at potions.

"That'd be nice, I can't get a hang on brewing the veritaserum..." (Name) groaned, tiredly staring down at the list of ingredients.

"That's alright, we can get started now and I'll walk you through it." Lily announced. "But we'd better work in the potions classroom, there should be everything you'll need in there."

The two Gryffindors left the library with their books, heading for the potions classroom. They didn't manage to get very far however before they ran into one half of the Marauders. More precisely, Remus Lupin and James Potter.

The first usually kept to the back, leaving his friends to the mischief. He was quiet and reserved for the most part, with caramel coloured hair and a scarred face. No one was entirely sure where he'd gotten them, but (Name) wasn't going to ask.

James was shorter than Remus. He had a dark shade of almost-black hair which was almost always dishelved and hazel eyes that hid behind a pair of circular glasses.

This time, (Name) was actually quite glad that Sirius Black wasn't with them. It seemed he always found something new to antagonize her about.

The messy, raven haired boy's face lit up with joy when he saw Lily, a feeling that was clearly not reciprocated by the redhead. "Lilypad! I was just looking for you! You have to help me with–"

"No." Lily abruptly interrupted.

"But you have to, Professor McGonagall told me that you would help me with my Transfiguration homework."

Lily rolled her eyes, "Yeah? Well that's too bad, I already told (Name) I would help her brew a veritaserum potion." She hastily informed him.

"But you're a prefect, you _have_ to help me." James whined. (Name) rolled her eyes with a sigh. How much more dramatic could he get?

"First of all, being a prefect doesn't mean I'm obligated to help you with your homework. Second, like I said–"

"I can help (Name) with the veritaserum potion, that way you'd be free to help James..." Remus suddenly chimed in.

"What a _great_ idea Remus." Lily sarcastically praised the caramel haired boy. "Why don't _you_ help James so _I_ can help (Name)?"

(Name) could only watch the situation unfold, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. She didn't think she'd ever seen Lily act so... Brazen? Was that the proper word?

"I've tried," Remus defeatedly sighed. "But it's just not working."

Lily was silent for some time as she chewed over her options. "Fine!" She agreed, eventually giving in.

She shot a regretful look at (Name), mouthing an apology as she walked back in the direction of the library with James.

"Were you on your way to the potions classroom?" Remus asked, meeting the (h/c) haired Gryffindor's eyes.

"Yeah." She simply shrugged.

Neither of them spoke until they reached their destination. The silence was tense and awkward until they got there, at which point Remus fetched a cauldron and instructed (Name) to pick out the ingredients she would need, listing them out one by one.

She picked out ptolemy, powdered moonstone, adder's fork, jobberknoll feathers, and lastly, sopophorous bean. Remus poured water into the cauldron, lighting a fire underneath it as she set down the ingredients on the table.

"Are you ready?"

(Name) nodded, separating the ingredients in different piles. She hesitantly poured the ptolemy into the cauldron in a counter clockwise motion, then glanced at Remus as though asking if she was doing it right. He gave her a nod and then instructed her to add a spoonful of moonstone powder. "Make sure to stir until it's dissolved."

She added a spoonful of the shimmering powder and stirred it gently just as she was told to. "How many more spoonfuls do I need?"

"Nineteen more."

"Nineteen?!" (Name) blurted out. At this, Remus couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "How many were you putting in?"

"I don't know... Ten? The directions say to add 10 ounces of powdered moonstone." She blinked dumbfoundedly.

"Ten ounces is 20 tablespoons." Remus snorted.

"Oh. I hate maths..." The Gryffindor witch groaned as she embarrassedly added the rest of the powder she needed.

"Don't sweat it." He reassured her. (Name) picked out a hint of guilt in his tone. _Does he feel bad for laughing at me?_

Remus grabbed the adder's fork and sliced it in half. "Add these in next." He instructed, wanting to quickly move on from the awkward moment.

The girl picked up the halves from Remus' palm and dropped them into the cauldron. "Now what?"

"We wait." He said, raising the heat underneath the cauldron. (Name) leaned back against the desk behind her, her eyes roaming over the multiple shelves of ingredients. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say as they left the potion to simmer for a while.

(Name) had hardly ever spoken to the boy. Partly because of his popularity as a Marauder, but also because she was considered to be an outcast by most. Sure, her friendship with Lily meant that she came face to face with the group quite often, but most of the time she'd go by unnoticed– apart from Sirius' teasing that was.

She mentally scoffed, realising that to many people, it was as though she were no different than one of the many ghosts inhabiting Hogwarts.

"So..." Remus awkwardly started, trying to catch (Name)'s attention. Once he knew she'd come back to, he went on to explain how to add the jobberknoll feathers. The witch picked up the feathers, counting them quickly to make sure there were twelve. But just as she was about to put them in, Remus swiftly grabbed her hand. "You've got thirteen." He told her, picking out the extra feather.

"Nice catch." (Name) expressed, bewildered. "You've got a keen eye for small details." She added, dropping the twelve feathers into the cauldron.

"I guess so." Remus chuckled, his eyes scanning over the book's pages as he looked for the next step. "Stir the potion in a clockwise motion twelve times."

The (h/c) haired girl stirred the potion as she was told to, tiredly observing the liquid as it whirled.

"Now you just need to crush the beans and add them in." The wizard continued, handing her the knife he'd previously used to cut the adder's fork. She crushed the beans with the side of the knife and added them to the potion, peering into the cauldron to assess her work.

"Looks good." Remus commented as he handed the girl a vial.

"It says to place it in the moonlight on a full moon and then hide it somewhere dark until the next one." (Name) remarked, her eyebrows furrowing as she read over the last steps. "I'm not very familiar with the lunar cycle. Much less keep track of it."

"The upcoming one is going to be on the twenty-first, so you've got about two weeks."

(Name) momentarily froze. "You keep track of the cycle? That's... Odd." She mused.

"Why's that?" Remus asked, shuffling nervously as his eyes aimlessly wandered around the room.

"Well surely no one's just... Interested in moon cycles." She said with an awkward blink. "Except maybe Professor Sinistra..." She reiterated on second thought.

Remus had become even more uncomfortable at her statement. "Maybe not, but that kind of knowledge comes in handy when you're planning to brew a potion that requires the proper phase." He defensively argued.

"Okay, okay. Maybe you're right." (Name) sighed. "No need to get moody– _Moony_." She sarcastically commented, using the nickname she'd heard his friends use.

"It looks like you'll be fine on your own now." He curtly concluded, taking his leave.

 _Okay then?_ Remus had left so abruptly that (Name) didn't know what to say. Had she accidently offended him? Or had he been waiting to leave the whole time? _But then why offer help in the first place?_ Frustratedly, the witch began to clean up her work area, sorting everything back into it's place before leaving.


	2. Chapter 2

"How did it go?" Lily asked when she saw (Name) walk into the common room. "Did you manage to brew the veritaserum?"

"Yeah. Remus left in a rush though." She replied, climbing over the back of the couch to sit beside the redhead. "How did it go with James?"

Lily sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as though the thought of James alone gave her a headache. "Absolutely awful at first."

" _At first_? What does that mean?" (Name) asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He wasn't even paying attention to his work." Lily rolled her eyes. "He promised he'd focus if I agreed to go with him to Hogsmeade this weekend. I agreed because I just wanted to get it over with..." She trailed off.

"But you didn't expect him to actually keep his promise and now you're going on a date with him." (Name) guessed.

"It's not a date." Lily protested.

"Maybe not to you but you do realize that's what it is to him, right?"

Lily huffed, pulling her legs up to her chest. "You'll come won't you?" She asked, staring at (Name) with pleading eyes.

"I don't think I'm invited," (Name) chuckled. "But nothing's stopping you from cancelling." She added with a lame shrug.

"Well I can't just _not_ go, I promised."

(Name)'s expression softened slightly. Lily was far too kind for her own good. She was rarely ever hard on anyone– apart from James and occasionally Sirius that was, and the (h/c) haired girl couldn't think of any promise Lily had ever broken.

"Well..." (Name) drawled out. "Maybe you'll end up having a good time?" _Like that'd happen._ The half blooded witch mentally scoffed at the thought of Lily enjoying a date with James. She couldn't even imagine a situation where he wouldn't be irritating Lily by doing literally _anything_.

"He tried to transfigure his quill into a fork and set it on fire." (Name) was confused for a moment. Had she changed the subject? What did James' poor transfiguration skills have to do with his and the redhead's date at Hogsmeade? "Those are two completely different spells! How on earth do you mix them up?!"

(Name) shrugged. A glance at the grandfather clock let her know that it was nearing ten o'clock. By the time she tuned back into what her friend was saying, the topic had already come back full circle to her "not-a-date" with James.

"So then just make it a double date." The (h/c) haired witch suggested. "James'll still be there but at least you wouldn't be alone."

Lily had gone quiet as she pondered over the idea. "Are you going to Hogsmeade?"

"Yeah I guess." (Name) shrugged. But then a foreboding chill ran up her back as she realized what she'd just gotten herself into; Lily would ask _her_ to go on a double date.

"Why don't you set up Sirius with some girl?" She suggested before the redhead could do so. She was hoping Lily would opt for that option instead. The wizard was a heart-throb and popular amongst nearly all the witches. There'd be an abundance of girls to volunteer.

"A girl? Which girl? And what's she about?"

 _Speak of the devil._ Sirius clambered through the portrait hole followed by Peter and plopped down on the couch between the girls.

(Name) had always thought it was unfair the way the odds had been stacked in his favour. He was incredibly handsome with his slick black hair, stormy eyes and strong jawline.

Peter on the other hand was the complete opposite in many ways. He was shorter and plump, with messily slicked back hair, a style that didn't fit him whatsoever. He was shy and quiet-spoken, perfectly content with following rather than leading.

(Name) wrinkled her nose, and turned her head in the opposite direction as Sirius rested his arm behind her. The pureblooded wizard reeked strongly of cigarettes and she could hardly stand the smell.

"We were talking about a double date at Hogsmeade. (Name) said you'd be up for it." Lily explained. "Although I don't know how I feel about putting up with both James _and_ you for a whole day..." She mumbled with a roll of her eyes.

If Sirius had heard that last part, he'd paid no mind to it. "As much as I'd love to, I've got to stay here tomorrow. I have detention. But I'm sure Remus'll tag along with the three of you."

_Three of you? Me?!_

The halfblooded witch wanted to protest, but she was cut off by Sirius who went on to say; "But it's not a date, no flirting with Remus alright?" with the straightest expression she'd ever seen on him. It was oddly uncharacteristic, but it had faded back to his usual flirty grin as soon as it had come.

He sent the (h/c) haired girl a wink and then left the common room for the boys' dorm without a second thought, followed by Peter as usual.

"Sounds good to me I guess. You, me, James and Remus." Lily sighed. "Well I'm going to go to bed. Be up for nine/ten-ish tomorrow?" Once again, (Name) didn't get a chance to object, Lily had already gotten up and left.

The halfblooded witch flopped down on the couch with a groan and threw her legs over the arm of the couch. _But... I'm pretty sure Remus hates me..!_

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

(Name) woke up with a thud. She was still in the common room, but she was sprawled out on the floor instead of the couch. _Did I fall asleep in the common room?_

"What are you doing on the floor?"

In her sluggish daze, the (h/c) haired girl jumped, frightened by the sudden presence of someone else in the room.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." Came the voice again. (Name) stood up briskly, pointlessly dusting her pants off in an effort to look unfazed and regain her dignity. Hopefully though, this person hadn't been around long enough to see her actually _fall_ off the couch.

"Ah, no I was just–" She embarrassedly blurted, racking her brain for any reasonable excuse. However, she'd lost her train of thought when she'd turned around and ended up face to face with Remus. The witch's eyes locked with his, and she let out an awkward cough. "I was just... I thought I stepped on something sharp, so I was looking for it."

If Remus had wanted to say anything else or call her out for her pitiful excuse, (Name) hadn't given him any time to say it. She'd walked straight past him with an awkward "goodnight," and went on up to the girls' dorm.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, (Name) had woken up earlier than she'd originally planned. She'd been tossing and turning for so long, hoping she could just fall back asleep. To her annoyance though, she just _couldn't_.

The witch groaned, lazily pushing herself up into a sitting position. She stayed still for several minutes, glaring angrily towards this, that and then nothing in particular. The sun wasn't going to rise for another two or three hours, and there wasn't much the (h/c) haired girl could do apart from waiting.

As it was pointless to stay in bed, (Name) decided that she might as well go ahead and take a shower. Her dormmates were still asleep and would probably still be by the time she was done. Knowing how chaotic mornings usually were, she realised that'd be the best course of action. She could shower in peace without being rushed by her dormmates. So she got up, grabbed whatever clothes she thought would be best suited for a "date", and then headed off into the bathroom.

The floor tiles were cold, and the halfblood shivered as she quietly closed the door behind her. For a minute she wished she didn't have to take off her clothes, knowing how cold she would be once there was nothing to shield her body. Still, she turned on the water to a comfortable heat and got undressed.

It didn't take her long to relax once she'd stepped into the shower, immediately soothed by the warmth of the water. (Name) tilted her head back as she washed her hair, allowing the water to trickle down her face. She remained calm, simply allowing her thoughts to stray for a little while, u–

"Bloody fucking hell!"

The girl hissed and spat, rubbing her eyes furiously. It might not have been a whole lot of soap, but it still hurt like a fuc _king bitch._ (Name) was hunched over as she hissed with gritted teeth, blinking wildly in an attempt to get rid of the pain. It took some time, but it eventually faded, leaving the (h/c) haired girl to finish her shower in a less-good-than-before mood.

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

With the water now turned off, (Name) had started shivering again. Soaking wet and with water dripping everywhere, she decided it'd be wise not to step out of the shower. Instead, she stretched out an arm to snag the towel she'd left on the toilet seat and wrapped it loosely around her chest after haphazardly drying herself. Then she stepped out.

As she did so, the reflection in the mirror caught her eye. (Name) stared at it blankly, and for as long as she held the reflection's gaze, it would stare right back. (H/l), wet (h/c) locks clung to the girl's face, and when she brushed them aside, a pair of dull (e/c) eyes and the visible dark circles under them were revealed, exposing her lack of rest. _She looks tired_. _**I** look tired._

(Name)'s thoughts were interrupted by a scratch at the door. Her eyes were drawn to the source of the sound, where two small paws were sticking out from underneath the door. A plaintive mewl was heard and the paws stretched out and about, looking for anything to sink their tiny but awfully sharp claws into.

"Merlin's beard, Agnes! What are you doing?!" (Name) whisper-snorted, opening the door to let her cat in before she got stuck trying to squeeze her way in like the last time.

Agnes, who had a constent air of indifference to her, sauntered into the bathroom. The feline jumped onto the bathroom counter, unhappily swaying her tail back and forth. The halfblooded witch could only imagine she wanted food. "Just give me a second."

Agnes had been (Name)'s family pet before she'd gone off to Hogwarts, where her family had then decided that she ought to take her along. And although the queen was aged and nearly blind, she never acted like it impaired her. Apart from sleeping more than she used to, her personality hadn't changed whatsoever since she'd been a kitten.

**_MEEOW._ **

"I know! I know! Just wait a second alright?" (Name) muttered as she finished drying herself off properly.

**_Meow?_ **

The witch rolled her eyes. To anyone, arguing with a cat would reasonably be seen as odd. But there was no other choice; the last time (Name) had ignored Agnes, all hell broke loose and she never, _ever,_ wanted to experience something like _that_ ever again.

Finally, after a few more minutes of endless meowing, (Name) was ready. She'd dried her hair with a charm and although there were a few more things she could touch up on, she didn't dare stay in the bathroom with a hungry Agnes any longer. So the (h/c) haired girl left the bathroom, tossed her pajamas onto her bed, and grabbed the bag of cat food she stored under her bed.

The white cat weaved between and around her legs as she filled up her food bowl, purring in satisfaction. She then gave it a good sniff, and sauntered off like she hadn't just spent the last twenty minutes urging (Name) to feed her. _Well fine then._ She thought with an exasperated sigh, walking down to the common room.

It was completely empty when (Name) got there, something she found unusual. The common room was almost always full of students, and there was guaranteed to be a party going down at some point or another.

"(Name)?"

Startled by the sudden interruption of her thoughts, (Name) spun around to see Remus coming down the staircase that led up to the boys' dorm.

He looked a lot more well rested than she did, which wasn't that much considering he always looked like he'd been dragged to hell and back. His hair was lightly disheveled and the dark circles under his eyes contrasted his oddly pale skin. But who was _she_ to talk? Here she was, feeling as awful as they both looked. Not to mention she probably looked like she could– and would, fall asleep at any given moment.

"What are doing up so early?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Ah. Me neither." Remus yawned.

(Name) yawned in turn. "Well I suppose it's not too early, breakfast starts in thirty minutes." The boy then stifled another yawn.

"Looks like it came back around." The girl joked.

"What did?"

"Yawns. I guess they really are contagious after all."

"Oh. I guess so." Remus chuckled.

"Remus!" James cried out, suddenly darting into the common room followed by Sirius and Peter. "And (Name)!"

The three of them were as energetic as ever, their eyes glistening deviously as they hurried over to their caramel haired friend.

"What's up?" (Name) greeted as their caramel haired friend tilted his head inquisitively.

There was a sharp inhale as Sirius was about to dish out a joke, but he was cut off by Remus who gave him a hard look. One that clearly told him not to say whatever he was about to deliver.

Unfortunately for him though, Sirius did not care. "–If I told you would you sit on it?"

(Name)'s face flushed darkly as Sirius held her gaze. He winked, that arrogant smirk of his plastered on his face.The halfblooded witch stuttered incoherently, completely gobsmacked by Sirius' raunchy pick up line.

James snorted, folded in half as he attempted to catch his breath in between laughing fits.

"W- well..? Are you going to take up his offer?" He wheezed, earning a laugh from the black haired boy as well as Peter.

"What offer?" If there had been any worst time for Lily to _literally_ slip down the stairs, it had been now. She missed the last step, collapsing into the arms of none other than a grinning James Potter, enabling Sirius to make, _yet another_ raunchy joke.

"Don't slip, Lily. It might be hard down there." Once again, James was doubled over in laughter, but Lily on the other hand was fuming. Her cheeks were turning a dark shade of red as she pushed herself away from James.

"Seriously Black? That's skeevy."

"Yes, that's me." Sirius snorted, though he was ignored by Lily.

Remus, who'd stayed silent during the whole ordeal could only quietly watch the scene unfold before him; disappointment and crystal clear discomfort in his eyes.

"I'm leaving." Lily announced, briskly striding past James and Sirius. She paused for split second at (Name)'s side and met her eyes. The redhead didn't have to say anything for the (h/c) haired girl to know Lily was asking if she was coming along.

"Right with you." The halfblooded witch nodded, following Lily out of the common room.

The Marauders followed along too, James falling into step beside Lily. Uninterested in hearing their conversation and predictable bickering, the (h/c) haired witch slowed her pace until she fell behind.

"Are you alright?"

"What?"

Remus gave the girl with an inquisitive look, syncing his steps to hers as he walked at her side. "I was asking if you're alright." He repeated.

"Oh, yeah I'm alright. Why?"

"You just look... Out of it."

"Oh– no I'm alright I'm just still a bit groggy." There was a weird moment of silence between the two Gryffindors as the group neared the Great Hall. (Name)'s eyes flitted around the corridor awkwardly. She'd never been the best with social interactions and they almost always seemed to end in a painfully uncomfortable silences. Almost like this one.

"So Lily's going on a date with James uh..?" Remus spoke up again, finally breaking the awkward silence.

"Yeah. Pretty sure she's going to regret it." The witch bluntly stated. Remus gave her a questioning look, to which she simply responded by jutting her chin in the direction of the bickering duo.

"I'll have to give you that one." The boy chuckled, shaking his head. "Are you going to Hogsmeade after breakfast?"

(Name) hummed. "Yeah. All four of us, we _are_ going on a double date after all."

"It is _**not**_ a double date!" Sirius interrupted, suddenly wedging himself between (Name) and Remus.

The pureblooded wizard had been eavesdropping on their conversation, hardly paying attention to the story Peter had been telling him.

 _Was he jealous?_ (Name) couldn't imagine he was. _What reason would he have to be?_ He spent his time chasing girls and then breaking up with them. And although Sirius _was_ flirting with her, she wasn't easily fooled. That boy flirted with everyone and anyone for all kinds of reasons. So she doubted that it had anything to do with romantic interest. He probably wanted something from her.

Besides, there were so many girls who were prettier than her. Like Marlene McKinnon who had long dirty blonde hair, striking blue eyes and a figure to make any man gawk. She was a Gryffindor, and not to mention she very clearly fancied the playboy. _Why don't you go chasing after McKinnon instead._


	4. Chapter 4

Finally, the group reached the Great Hall. There were already at least a dozen students from each house, much more than there usually would be at this hour. But that was to be expected on a weekend coinciding with a Hogsmeade trip.

(Name) sat down alongside Lily, her mouth watering as she dragged a fat pancake onto her plate. Her stomach rumbled as she poured syrup on it. She'd been so preoccupied with her surroundings that she hadn't noticed until now just how hungry she was.

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

A flurry of snow drifted throughout Hogsmeade, coating the village with a fresh coat of whiteness. A multitude of tracks were already spread about, leaving easy trails to walk in for those who didn't want wet socks and cold feet. But unlike Remus, Lily and James, (Name) had purposely decided to trudge through the untouched snow, taking satisfaction in the sound it made when she stepped in it.

Lily and James were a fair distance ahead of herself and Remus, walking far enough from them that they couldn't hear what the other twowere saying _. (_ Name) wasn't sure which emotion she felt the strongest, appreciation or curiosity. On one hand, if the two of them started bickering she was glad to be far enough not to be hearing any of it, but they seemed strangely at ease within each other's presence which was why the halfblooded witch was so curious to begin with. _What were they talking about? Did Lily just laugh? What had James said?_

"You know, you really shouldn't eavesdrop." Remus said, lightly hauling the (h/c) haired girl over the coals.

"Wea– I'm not eavesdropping!" (Name) protested, dramatically whipping her head towards the caramel haired boy, feigning a look of indignation.

"Sure you weren't." Remus snorted. "Your ears are twitching. I can tell you're straining to listen."

"Twi– Wait, hold on why were you staring at my ears?" She playfully accused with a snort.

The prefect's face flushed in embarrassment. "I wasn't. I just noticed it from the corner of my eye." (Name) chuckled as she raised a brow in teasing manner.

"Sure you did!" She amusedly drawled.

"Come on love birds, I want to get a butterbeer!" James howled, bringing the duo's conversation to a stop as he waved his arms about like a mad man.

(Name) didn't have to be told twice. Her mouth had already started watering at the mention of butterbeer. She sauntered over to James' and Lily's sides, leaving Remus to stumble after her.

"Hey! Wait, hold on!"

The halfblooded wizard exhaled loudly as he caught up, readjusting the bag he was carrying over his shoulder. "Are we in a rush or something?"

"Of course we are," James impatiently asserted, shuffling backwards in the direction of the three broomsticks. "I'm thirsty! _Now_ will you hurry up?!"

Remus gave (Name) an exasperated blink but joined the trio regardless, receiving a bright smile from the latter as James mumbled something along the lines of "it's about time" underneath his breath. Together, the four Gryffindors walked into the inn, struck by a wave a warmth.

"Sit wherever you'd like, I'll be with you in a moment!" The barmaid, Madam Rosmerta called out with a kind smile as she resumed mopping the floor.

Having said that, it really _didn't_ take her long; with magic at her disposal, the older witch only had to cast a self-cleaning charm on the mop before she could move over to the students' table.

"What can I get you lot?" She asked, her green eyes darting between James, Remus, (Name) and Lily.

"We'll each have a butterbeer, thank you." Remus spoke for everyone.

"Sure, four butterbeers for the quartet!"

(Name) smiled as she watched the woman stroll off with their order, then shifted her gaze towards Lily. For the next five minutes, the redhead didn't once meet her gaze. She had instead chosen to fix her emerald eyes onto the table. The halfblooded witch wondered whether she ought to say something, switching her gaze over to the two boys as they merrily chatted about an upcoming Quidditch match. They hadn't seemed to notice the sudden change in Lily's mood.

"Li–"

"Here we are!" Madam Rosmerta cheerfully announced, placing down four butterbeer mugs on the table. Despite involuntarily cutting (Name) off, the barmaid managed to do exactly what the (h/c) haired girl had wanted to do; get Lily's attention.

The redhead looked up at the mugs as though she'd been snapped out of a trance, then looked up to meet (Name)'s inquiring and concerned gaze. She gave the halfblooded witch a quick smile, an attempt at reassuring her that she was alright. _Something's bothering her._ (Name) realised, knowing Lily enough to know that she had a tendency to keep things to herself.

"Drink up!" James hollered, receiving odd looks from many of the other patrons.

"Oh my god." Lily muttered, ducking her head in embarrassment. (Name) finally felt a bit reassured. The redhead appeared to be back to her normal self.

James chuckled, raising his mug for a brief moment before g _ulping down_ _the **whole,** entire thing_ _at once._

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

(Name) slung her arm over the back of her chair as listened to the story James was telling. She took a swig of her butterbeer, but then nearly spat it out when she heard the next part.

"So here I am, it's about three in the morning and I've been putting up and rigging these two bucket; one full of honey and the other full of feathers, to the shower for about an hour. The plan was to get Sirius back for that time he got me with the frog spawn soap but I woke up so tired that I completely forgot about the shower. Guess who went in first?"

"You?"

"No, me." Remus interjected with a gruff sigh.

(Name) couldn't help but laugh as she pictured the boy covered in honey and feathers. "Did you enjoy your shower at least?"

"Absolutely not."

"You've got to admit it _was_ pretty funny though." James said.

"You're unbelievable." Remus sighed, taking a swig from his butterbeer. Contrary to his response though, (Name) noticed the glimmer in his eyes and the small smile that played on the boy's lips. Deep inside, he must've found it _at least_ a little bit funny.

James only laughed at his friend's reaction, and as soon as the prefect set down his nearly empty mug, he swiped it and downed what little was left of his butterbeer. Still, the halfblooded wizard's smile didn't falter.

"You could've just asked." He jokingly scolded.

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

The group eventually had to head back to the castle. Evening was setting in, and (Name) was getting hungry. The rest of her afternoon had been well spent, strolling around and instigating a snowball fight when a pile of snow fell off from a tree's branches and into the back of James' coat.

"It _**wasn't**_ me!" (Name) cried out as she hid behind Lily. "It's the tree! Look–" she added, pointing towards the pine tree's swaying branches.

Still, the wizard refused to listen. Instead, he piled snow into his hands and shaped it into a ball. "You'll pay!" He swore, a devious grin creeping onto his face as he took his aim.

Thank god he had missed his shot though. "HAH!"

"Oh come on can't we go back I'm hu–" (Name) didn't get to hear what Lily said next. James had picked up another handful of snow and he was slinking towards the girls, trying to bluff his way past Lily who was standing in as a shield for (Name).

As he did so, it became evident that Lily could no longer save her from his snowballs. He kept picking up more snow and shaping more snowballs as he threw them left and right, each shot getting closer to hitting his target. So the (h/c) haired girl decided to take a chance and dart over to Remus in hopes of hiding behind him instead. But James had thrown a snowball at the exact same time and he didn't miss his shot this time. The girl lost her balance upon impact and fell into the snow with a soft thud, bringing about an outburst of laughter. Even Remus and Lily couldn't help letting out a few chuckles alongside James.

With the trio distracted, (Name) had the perfect opportunity to get them back. As discreetly as she could, the witch drew her wand, aimed it at them and with a sudden swish, the branches overhead swayed, causing a gigantic pile of snow to fall on them. (Name) picked herself up off the ground as she watched her housemates dig their way out.

"I win this time, Potter!" She declared with a triumphant smirk.


	5. Chapter 5

As it turned out, Lily _had_ enjoyed her time with James. Or at least that's what the latter was claiming. But (Name) was inclined to believe him. As she turned over in her bed, she could recall the smile on Lily's face as she laughed at the boy's jokes. The two of them had hardly bickered, if at all. The redhead was refusing to admit it, but they both knew that she didn't despise James as much as she said she did.

Across the room, Marlene's gentle snoring was coaxing the (h/c) haired witch back to sleep. It was too early to be analyzing why Lily's feelings towards James had gone from heavily-disliked to neutral. (Name) snuggled deeper under the covers, letting herself relax in the moment. But then, she was shaken awake to find Lily towering over her. "You should get up now if you want a chance to shower."

A drop of water slid down from the muggleborn's damp locks and landed onto the (h/c) haired girl's face. She sat up and wiped the drop off her face with a heavy groan.

"Oops, sorry." Lily chuckled, taking a step back to give (Name) some room. She went to sit on her bed as she finished drying off her hair.

"What's our first class?"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Hm. Oh, can you feed Agnes while I take a shower?" (Name) asked as she slowly but surely gathered her showering supplies. Lily nodded and pushed herself up from her bed as the (h/c) haired girl disappeared into the bathroom.

Agnes had made it very clear that she demanded to be fed first thing in the morning and the queen enforced that rule with an iron... Paw? Merlin knew how the hell (Name) had let that slip by her the previous morning. Especially considering the white cat had been the (Last Name)'s family pet for years.

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

(Name) sat in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, bored out of her mind. She didn't often find it hard to pay attention in her classes– apart for her history of magic classes that was, but this teacher was incredibly dull. So much so that he could almost give Professor Binns a run for his money.

His voice maintained the same boring monotone as he droned on and on about the basics. Stuff (Name) already knew. Sure, she was used to doing recaps every year, as almost every DADA teacher would do one at the begining of the year. But they'd been revising red caps for like... Three months now? The girl had read the same section of her textbook so many times that she was pretty sure she could recite it by heart.

Multiple other students were asleep, hunched over their desks. Earlier on in the year the professor would have waken them up, but he'd given up not even a week into the year, seeing as they'd all just fall back asleep anyways. Some of the others students were keeping themselves entertained by passing notes among one-another, such as Sirius who was currently flirting with a girl sitting a few rows down. (Name) could recognize her as Violet Oakwood; another 6th year from the Gryffindor house.

"Miss (Last Name), would you like to answer the question?"

The (h/c) haired girl jumped, staring at the professor with wide eyes. She had absolutely no idea what was going on or what he had asked. "Huh?"

Multiple sets of eyes bore into her back as she sank into her seat, trying to ignore the quiet remarks and giggles that resonated throughout the classroom. _I'm glad this is bringing you all **some** form of interest. _(Name) thought sarcastically.

The DADA professor let out a frustrated groan before repeating himself. "I'm asking," He started sternly. "how you would go about repelling a red cap."

"With charms and hexes..." She vaguely replied, earning a frustrated sigh from the professor.

(Name) knew she probably shouldn't rile up the man. He wasn't only extremely boring, but he also had one hell of a short fuse. She just couldn't help it!

"Yes. I'm aware." He growled. (Name) fought back the urge to chuckle. She could nearly see steam coming out of his ears.

"Can you be more specific?" The DADA professor asked in a hard tone. (Name) suddenly wondered if he knew she was purposefully being vague.

"The Immobilization charm would be one of them, I guess."

"Good. Ten points to Gryffindor." The professor reluctantly huffed, giving the halfblood a curt nod and a hard stare before moving on.

Behind her, the (h/c) haired girl heard the Marauders snicker. "Wow. Really pissed him off there didn't you?"

(Name) was about to reply when a crumpled up piece of parchment hit her head. She looked in the direction from which it came, meeting the intense gaze Lily was fixing her. The witch already had a clear idea of what was written on the parchment but she cast an flattening spell on it anyways; it bounced around a couple times as it de-crumpled itself before laying itself flat on the desk.

_What on earth are you doing???_

(Name) scribbled down a quick-witted response before throwing the piece of parchment back over to the redhead.

_Answering Professor Sloepek_ _'s question?_

After reading the (h/c) haired girl's response, Lily shook her head disapprovingly but went back to working on her notes nevertheless. Seeing the latter do so, (Name) turned back to her half-assed notes and dipped her quill into her ink pot. _I should do that too._ She told herself as her eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

_Easier said than done though._ Another piece of parchment, this one folded neatly into the shape of a bird, grabbed her attention as it fluttered past her head.

Sirius' note most likely. In the spur of the moment, (Name) drew her wand and whispered "incendio" under her breath. The jet black haired boy's note instantly burst up in flames, it's ashes snowing down to the floor. She then turned around in her seat and stuck out her tongue at the bewildered Gryffindor.

"Oops, my hand slipped." The halfblood mocked with a snort. "Nice origami though."

"Origa _what_?"

"Ori– never mind." (Name) chuckled lightly. With that puzzled expression on his face, Sirius looked like a lost puppy. Something about it oddly warmed her heart.

Sirius' expression went a complete one-eighty in the blink of an eye however, and a smirk found it's way onto his face as he suggestively rose a brow.

"I didn't think you were the jealous type." He teased.

The pureblood's response caught (Name) off guard but she managed to at least remain composed. "I'm not. It was distracting. I also just wanted to fuck with you though." She chuckled.

"Oh? You should've just asked, how could I possibly say no to an offer like that~!" Sirius grinned. This time the (h/c) haired girl wasn't as lucky; her face flared up into a bright crimson and she swiftly spun around in her chair. _Oh my god._

"Go take a walk, Black." Lily said in a dry tone as she sat down next to (Name). The halfblood jumped; she hadn't even seen her friend come over at all.

"Oh come on!" Sirius playfully whined.

"No seriously. Go fuck yourself." The redhead retorted with a glare.

The black haired boy was about to deliver another crude joke but Remus interjected before he could. "Okay. Sirius, I think that's enough."

"Aww. You're no fun, Moony." Sirius sighed, leaning back into his chair as he observed (Name). But the (h/c) haired witch didn't turn around. She was well aware that she was being watched, and she couldn't get her heartbeat to slow down.


	6. Chapter 6

(Name) poked her lunch with a fork, gazing thoughtlessly at the baked potato laying in front of her.

"Aren't you hungry?" Lily asked, her eyebrows furrowing in concern.

"Not particularly." The (h/c) haired girl replied with a sigh as she looked up to her friend. Her green eyes reflected the same concern she could see in her posture.

"Are you thinking about Sirius?"

(Name) shook her head. "I just don't know what he wants from me." She groaned, holding her head in her hands.

"That's a daily mood right there." Lily chuckled sympathetically. (Name) suddenly began to wonder how the muggleborn witch could put up with James and his endless flirting every single day.

"Do you think he's flirting with you to get closer to Violet Oakwood? I saw him passing her notes in DADA." Lily said, offering a conclusion of some sort.

"Why would he do that? He doesn't need my help to shag girls. Besides, I've never even spoken to her."

Lily let out a heavy sigh as she turned back to the food on her plate. "I don't know, (Name). Boys are complicated."

"We're really not," James chimed in as he strolled over, sitting at an empty spot across Lily. "Like right now? All I want is a really mean steak."

"Uh. Alright then, help yourself I guess?"

He didn't seem to have heard anything other than the last part of the girls' conversation which greatly relieved (Name). The last thing she needed was for James to start a game of broken telephone.

She could already see it; James sauntering over to Sirius' side. _"Sirius! (Name) likes you! I heard her say so to Lily, she said she doesn't like when you flirt with other girls!"_

"Really?"

(Name) jumped from her seat, nearly choking on a mouthful of baked potato. She hadn't noticed that Sirius had joined her, Lily and James at the Gryffindor table.

"Yeah, I'm telling you! She's insane! She took away twenty house points for a _mild_ prank I pulled on a fourth year." James whined.

(Name) cluelessly frowned as she listened, completely lost. _Who's he talking about?_

"Well of course she would." Lily sighed. "She's Head Girl, that's her job."

"What did you do?" (Name) asked, now slightly more caught up.

"I pranked a fourth year." James repeated. He must've noticed that she'd been spaced out for the last five minutes or so.

"I know _that_ , but I mean, what did you do to them?" (Name) reiterated.

"I just pulled out this kid's chair before he sat on it."

Well it _did_ sound relatively harmless compared to the type of pranks the Marauders usually pulled.

That being said though, (Name) wasn't all that surprised either. Head Girls/Boys usually took their jobs rather seriously. Now that she thought about it though, Remus would most likely become Head Boy next year and it made her wonder if the position would make him start reinforcing the rules anymore than he did now as a prefect. Would he keep turning a blind eye whenever his friends got into trouble?

(Name) glanced down at her watch with a soft sigh. There was about ten minutes left before the next class began and the (h/c) haired girl didn't have the proper textbooks.

"I'd better get going." She excused herself as she stood up.

Lily's response was sudden; she picked up her stack of textbooks and stood up as well, ready to follow (Name).

_What's that about?_ The halfblood stood still for a short minute as she attempted to make sense of Lily's reaction. _She looks like I've just sentenced her to death by leaving her with the Marauders for a little while._

"It's alright you don't have to come with me." (Name) told her. "I just forgot my Transfiguration textbook and I have to go get it before class starts."

"O– Well n– I don't mind coming along!" Lily had wasted no time in disregarding what (Name) had said, stumbling over her words along the way.

"Lily, I'm serious–" The (h/c) haired girl started. In her rattled state, she'd just barely heard James make a serious-sirius joke from the corner of her ear but she just ignored it.

"I'll be fine on my own. Just go to class and I'll meet you there."

To (Name)'s content, Lily accepted her decision all the same even though she seemed reluctant to do so.

"Can I come?" Sirius suddenly piped up, shooting the girl a bright grin when she met his gaze.

"No."

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

There was now less than ten minutes left before class started but (Name) was beginning to think she might just make it on time. She'd gone up to her dormatory and found her textbook without any issues, leaving her enough time to make it to class before it started. Of course though, she shouldn't have been so confident. Trouble would always find it's way to her it seemed. This time in the form of two problematic Slytherin girls; Hollis Selwyn and Asterea Flint.

"What a surprise! It's (Last Name)." One of the girls sneered as the halfblood approached.

(Name) didn't even bother with a response. After five years she'd used up all the fucks she could give. Her lack of reaction however seemed to have angered the Slytherins and before she could intercept it, a shoe had collided with her head. The (h/c) inhaled sharply through gritted teeth and grabbed the side of her head. _What the_ _actual_ _fuck?_

Now **_that_** was a new one, she'd never been thrown a _shoe_ before. Hollis was leaning on Asterea, her shoe-less foot hovering a few centimeters over the floor. "Go back to the muggle world where you belong, filthy black sheep!"

Ironically enough though, the halfblood hadn't ever _set_ foot in the muggle world. Her parents had decided before she'd even been born that it would be for the best if she grew up within the wizarding world. For that reason, she knew very little about the muggle world. Apart from what her father had told her anyways.

"What's the matter? Can't talk?" Asterea jeered with a smug grin. The girl took a step forward, intending to pick up Hollis' shoe when an idea struck (Name).

The latter swiftly grabbed the shoe before Asterea could get to it first and then chucked it out through one of the corridor's open windows. Then, without another word or reaction, (Name) strode past the two Slytherins and into the Transfiguration classroom, somehow still managing to make it in the brink of time.

The halfblood quickly sat down beside Lily who let out a relieved sigh upon seeing her. "Thank God, I was starting to think you'd be late."

"So did I." (Name) quietly admitted as she slumped into her seat.

"Good afternoon." Professor McGonagall greeted, marching over to the front of the classroom, and making her way around the tables as she began with the lesson.

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

"And so–"

The Transfiguration teacher was interrupted mid-speech when Hollis and Asterea came crashing through the doors nearly ten minutes late.

Many people jumped in fright at the sudden and loud entrance, and an incredibly rigid expression was plastered on the professor's face which clearly read _y_ _ou'd better have a good explanation for this._

(Name) couldn't help but chuckle at the scene unfolding in front of her. She was absolutely entertained by the fact that the girls had prioritized a **_shoe_** over the trouble that came with being late.

_You_ _need to get your priorities sorted out._ She mentally remarked, her thoughts laced with amusement.

"It's (Last Name)'s fault professor!" Hollis wasted no time in accusing the halfblood who rolled her eyes. But then again, it _was_ technically her fault...

Professor McGonagall's head turned in (Name)'s direction, her eyes narrowing inquisitively. The girl shrugged, awkwardly sinking in her seat.

Eventually though, it become obvious to the woman that she wasn't going to get any other kind of response from the girl. She then returned her attention back to the two Slytherins and motioned towards their empty seats.

"Ten points for each of you will be taken from Slytherin."

There was a collective groan from the Slytherins once they heard the news. Many of them sent the pureblooded witches glares as they made their way to their seats.

"Did you really throw her shoe out the window?" Lily hissed in (Name)'s ear, glancing at her from the corner of her eye.

"Visceral reaction." She only shrugged.

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

"You're dismissed."

(Name) stood up as she began gathering her stuff, neatly packing her textbooks into her book bag. She stored her quills and parchment into the front pouch before slinging the bag over her shoulder.

"Only one more class." She groaned. Lily sent her an amused but encouraging smile as the two of them headed towards the exit.

"Miss (Last Name), a word please?"

The (h/c) haired witch froze as she was about to leave the classroom, slowly turning around to face Professor McGonagall as the rest of the students left.

"You can leave Miss Evans, this doesn't concern you." The woman's voice was softer with the redhead than it had been with (Name).

Lily's eyes darted in between the professor and the her friend for a short while, before eventually leaving.

"...Yes?" (Name) hesitantly asked, unsure of what this was about. Actually that was a lie– she was ninety-nine percent sure this was going to be about the shoe incident.

"Would you tell me what happened between yourself and Hollis Selwyn?"

"Nothing."

"Miss (Last Name), let it be known that your lack of cooperation only makes you seem more suspicious," the woman began. "if you refuse to explain your behavior then I'll have no choice but to give you detention."

_Then so be it._

"Nothing– nothing happened."

"Very well." Professor McGonagall heaved a sigh. "I expect you here by seven."

(Name) nodded curtly. "Can I go now?"

Once she'd received an affirmative hum from her teacher, the (h/c) haired girl left the classroom. She knew she'd probably disappointed her head of house, but telling her the truth would've been pointless. (Name) wasn't one to snitch either, and she would and could deal with her issues on her own.

Those pureblooded Slytherins would continue to be prejudiced after all. They'd never stop tormenting halfbloods and muggleborns. Not until their targets stood up to them anyways. And that's exactly what she would do. But not tonight, she had detention.


	7. Chapter 7

It was nearing seven o'clock, and (Name) was making her way up to the transfiguration classroom. As she walked up the steps that were leading her into detention, she heard a loud angry hiss behind her. Just as she stopped to investigate the source of the sound, Mrs. Norris scampered past her with her fur on end and tail lashing from side to side. She too stopped to meet the halfblood's eyes. _Oh no. If Filch's cat was here then–_

"You'll be having detention with me tonight." Came the caretaker's scratchy voice. There was a glint of venom in his beady eyes, and it sent a shiver up the (h/c) haired girl's spine. "Hurry it up why don't you? We don't have all night."

The old prefect back in (Name)'s first year had assured them that they'd grow used to the ill-tempered caretaker over time, but she never really had. He still scared the shit out of her even in her sixth year. Something about him just... Gave her the creeps.

Still, she followed Filch and his cat all the way to the other end of the castle and to his office where she was informed about her task. She was to sort the caretaker's old punishment records by alphabet.

_Ugh._

(Name) opened the door, only to be met with a familiar face.

"(Name)!"

"Sirius? Tell me. Why is it you're always in detention?" The halfblood snorted.

"Actually this time was on purpose."

"On purpose? What do you mean?"

"Well I heard you got a detention. So I iced the corridors."

"Iced the– _you know what?_ Forget it." (Name) shook her head with an amused sigh. This was Sirius. At this point it wasn't all that suprising that he'd do something as stupid as turning the corridors into an ice rink. "But why get detention just to get stuck sorting some stupid old files with me?"

"That's where you're wrong!" Sirius excitedly announced. He lifted out a stack of files from one of the cabinets and laid them out on Filch's desk. "This is a gold mine, there are tons descriptive pranks that old students have pulled!"

"How does that work? There's no way Filch would fall for the same prank more than once." (Name) remarked as she sifted through a different cabinet.

"That'd be impossible, there are way too many files to remember them all. We also always change stuff so there's no way he'd realize that our pranks are inspired by these bad boys." Sirius said, tapping the top of the rusty file cabinet.

"Okay I guess you've got a point." (Name) laughed.

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

"Holy shit! Sirius, come look at this."

The jet black haired boy shuffled over from the other side of the office and looked over (Name)'s shoulder. Laid out in front of her was an open file marked under the name Henry Potter.

"Is he related to James?" She asked.

"Yeah, Henry is his grandfather. But I don't think I've seen this file before..." The boy answered, stretching his arm past the girl to grab the file. (Name) had to crane her neck to be able to see the papers as Sirius flipped through them.

The already narrow office had grown twenty times smaller because of the few file-folder mountains that were laying around the room. Because of this, (Name) was nearly pressed up against Sirius and she could feel his breath lightly fan against her cheek. Usually, she'd feel self-conscious being this close to someone, and not to mention a _boy–_ one who reeked of cigarettes on top of that, but she was far too enthralled in these documents to notice or care about any of these things right now.

"But these can't have been Filch's files, that would have been nearly over like... Ages ago." (Name) stated with furrowed brows.

"They certainly look that old..." Sirius muttered. "Do you reckon they were written by the caretaker in Henry's time?"

"Possibly. I wonder how many years worth of files there are. _And why is Filch hoarding them all?"_

"I don't know but I think I just figured out where he got this whole _"hanging students by their wrists"_ thing from, look at this. _Punishment assigned: student left to hang from the ceiling by the wrists for two days and a half."_

(Name) shivered at the thought of being hung by her wrists. She cast a quick look to the rusty old chains hanging on the walls. "Thank Merlin they don't do that anymore."

"His record files just never end." Sirius exclaimed as he flipped through a dozen different pages.

"What did he do to get these punishments?"

"Looks like it's just some pretty casual rule breaking."

"And they hung you by your wrists... For being late to class?" (Name) exclaimed with a shudder as she caught a glimpse of one of the reasons for Henry's numerous detentions. 

"Apparently so."

The two teens were startled when they head the door to the office jiggle. Sirius hurriedly closed Henry's file and hid it into one of the piles while (Name) grabbed a few different files to make it seem as if they were working. If they were caught snooping through the detention records they'd be in even more trouble.

Finally the door opened, pushing back a pile of files in the process. Professor McGonagall was left dumbfounded at the state of Filch's office. She stared at the two kids with round eyes before heaving a sigh as though she wasn't at all surprised by the quantity of records the caretaker kept.

"You may go now." She announced, fixing the mess with a wave of her wand.

"Thank you, professor. Goodnight." (Name) murmured as she ducked past the woman, followed by Sirius.

The latter turned around once more, watching as the files were sorted back into the cabinets, before turning back around once more and following the (h/c) haired girl around a corner and out of sight from the office.

"Merlin, I'm glad that's over." (Name) whined as she and Sirius walked into the Gryffindor common room.

But then, in front of the them was a sight (Name) never thought she'd have ever seen in a million years. James and Lily were both sitting in the common room and there were no traces of discomfort or awkwardness in the atmosphere.

"Is it me or are those two actually getting along?" She muttered under her breath, the question partially being directed towards Sirius.

"Looks like cupid's come to town." Sirius muttered back with a smug grin.

"What are you two conspiring about?!" Lily agitatedly spoke up once she noticed them loitering not far away.

"Oh, nothing important." Although (Name) hadn't wanted to elaborate, Sirius had other plans.

"You're looking pretty cozy there, next to James and all." He bluntly teased.

"I am _**not**!"_ The redhead retorted, her face flushing as she slid over to the other end of the couch.

_This is why I didn't want to say anything._ (Name) sighed. But something seemed amiss. Sure, Lily had always been defensive about how she felt about James, but never to _this_ extant.

Then it struck her; could Lily fancy James? At first the halfblood dismissed the thought. There was no way she could like him. Not after five years' worth of saying she strongly disliked him– but then again, they'd all changed over the summer... Not just in appearance, but in maturity.

Well... To some degree anyways. James was still the same daft prankster he'd always been, but he seemed a little bit more understanding _._

Understanding of what though? (Name) didn't have the faintest of ideas.


	8. Chapter 8

Throughout the next week and a half, (Name) kept a close eye on Lily. And by now, she'd come to the conclusion that her friend did indeed have some form of feelings for James.

She tried not to let it show but the way she tried to avoid the Marauders was enough to make it noticeable. Or well, it was to (Name) anyways– as far as the (h/c) haired girl was aware, no one else had taken notice. Not even _James_. That in itself was extremely ironic. How could the very boy who'd been pining after her for three to four years not even realize that she was catching feelings? _How oblivious could he be?_

The two girls walked down the corridor side by side, engulfed by a comfortable silence. Neither of them needed to say anything. The day had been rather pleasant so far and there was nothing to complain about. Until they came across a familiar scene anyways.

Backed into a corner by none other than the Marauders, was a familiar greasy haired boy. His pointed nose turned in the girls' direction as they had come to a stop, and their eyes met.

(Name) felt Lily tense up beside her. "Should... We intervene?"

"No. _He doesn't need help."_ Lily replied harshly, briskly averting her gaze. And although her words had been bitter and hard, (Name) knew deep down that the muggleborn didn't resent Severus. No, she was simply mourning the loss of an old friend.

Without giving (Name) a warning, she walked off, leaving the (h/c) haired girl to hurry after her.

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

When the girls entered their dormitory, they were pleasantly surprised to find a bouquet in the middle of the room. There was a white envelope resting among the colourful flowers, but from afar it was impossible to read who's name was written on it.

Not that they really needed to know though.

"Looks like James got you a gift." (Name) nonchalantly teased Lily as she flopped onto her bed.

"It's not from him, your name's written on the card."

_Huh?_ The halfblood swiftly jumped off her bed and walked over to the bouquet. She picked up the card and flipped it over in her hands about a dozen times; but sure enough, there it was; _her name_ on the envelope.

"Who's it from?" Lily asked.

(Name) was so surprised to find out that the flowers were for her that she completely missed the crestfallen look on Lily's face.

"It's from Sirius." She said after flipping over the envelope again. In hindsight though, it was kind of obvious who who would send her flowers.

As she began to open the card though, her hands started to burn and itch. She placed the card down on her bed and observed her hands. _What is this?_

Was this one of the Marauders' pranks? Had they sprinkled an itching powder of some sort on the flowers?

"What is it?" Lily asked when she noticed the puzzled look on (Name)'s face.

"I'm not sure..." She replied, her brows furrowing.

Little white dots had appeared on the back of her hands, surrounded by a noticeable redness.

"Looks like allergies," Lily explained as she examined the girl's hands. "It's probably the flowers."

"Well... Okay, but how do I get it to stop?"

"If you wash your hands it should go away fairly quickly, I'll get rid of these for you." The redhead explained, picking up the bouquet of flowers.

"Sure. Thanks, Lily."

(Name) headed into the bathroom as the muggleborn left with the flowers, rolled up her sleeves and turned on the tap. The cold water felt like bliss in comparison to the burning sensation, and by now she could barely feel the itch anymore.

(Name) bumped into Lily on her way out of the bathroom, surprised to find her back so early.

"That was quick! What'd you do with the flowers?"

"Oh, I ran into Hagrid, he asked me if he could keep them."

(Name) hummed. "By the way, am I allergic to all flowers now or..?"

The girl had little to no knowledge about allergies and much less knew anything about plants. She hardly ever paid attention in Herbology and truthfully, she'd only just passed her fifth year Herbology O.W.L.s with acceptable results... Not to mention that had only been because she'd stayed up the previous night cramming information into her brain. Information that she would then forget not only a day or so later.

"I don't know, it could just be Asters."

(Name) hummed thoughtfully.

"Are you still feeling itchy? We can go out for some fresh air, it'll probably make you feel better."

"That sounds good."

The itching and burning had already subsided, but (Name) didn't oppose to the suggestion. Fresh air sounded nice.

"Okay, just let me change out of my robes." The redhead said as she grabbed some clothes out of her closet.

"I think I'm going to do the same." (Name) agreed, grabbing a random shirt, a pair of jeans and a jacket from her own closet.

The two girls got changed within a few minutes, and then left the Gryffindor Tower for a walk around the school grounds.

The air was rather chilly this late in November, but the (h/c) haired girl didn't mind. She felt comfortably warm, even with the cold breeze and the thin layer of snow that covered the ground.

Neither witches spoke as they strolled by the black lake. It was peaceful here and there weren't a whole lot of students around.

A cluster of white shimmering white dots danced on the surface of the lake, which were a stark contrast to the dark frigid waters. The two girls decided to sit by the shore and laid down their jackets to sit on. Their eyes were drawn to the mesmerising waves that washed up by their feet.

After a short moment of silence, Lily spoke up.

"(Name)?"

"Hm?"

"Am I a bad friend?"

A short silence ensued. (Name)'s eyes remained fixed to the water for a little while longer, until she tore them away to meet Lily's desolte gaze.

"What... Where's t– No! Of course not!" The halfblood spluttered, baffled by the redhead's question.

"I just..." Lily's eyes fell back to the water, where she kept her gaze for a while. "Is it my fault? I knew Severus was being influenced... But I never imagined that he'd actually join the Death Eaters... Maybe I could've changed his mind if I hadn't abandoned him."

By now, tears were brimming the girl's eyes.

"No, Lily. You did what you had to do," (Name) reassured her, leaning over so she could hold her friend in her arms. "So don't feel bad about something that's out of your control."

Lily didn't seem all that convinced but she didn't say anything else. By now tears had begun pouring down her face, even with her eyes screwed shut.

Her shoulders shook as she sobbed, and it tugged at the (h/c) haired witch's heartstrings. She wished she could do more to comfort Lily, but she didn't know what else could be said or done without making things any worse than they already were. So instead, she simply sat and continued to hug the redhead for the best part of an hour.


	9. Chapter 9

Time seemed to have slowed down by the black lake. Lily and (Name) had been sitting by the shore for what seemed like ages, at ease within the soothing atmosphere and peaceful stillness of the moment.

The two Gryffindors were laying on their backs, watching the sky when the bushes to began rustling. The (h/c) haired witch clumsily wobbled into a crouched position, stumbling into Lily, who had also started to get up.

The latter's breath wavered. "Wh– _what is that?"_ She faltered.

(Name) couldn't even find the words to answer her friend, she was sure she'd just seen a pair of eyes in the thicket.

Both girls backed up further, until the creature, a large disheveled black dog, stepped out of the bushes. They both let out a shaky breath, slightly relieved to find themselves face to face with a familiar creature and not a dangerous magical one.

_Like, a werewolf or something._

The two witches still remained wary however, unsure as to whether or not this dog was aggressive.

"W– who's a good boy?" (Name) cooed with a nervous laugh, hoping to elicit a friendly response.

And a friendly one she got! The dog had dropped down into playing position, with it's tail wagging enthusiastically.

"Oh! You _are_ a good boy!" The (h/c) haired girl then cooed again, this time with much more assurance than before. Lily also seemed a bit more reassured by this and she'd relaxed a little.

(Name) crouched down next to the dog, and pet it's head. Now that she was closer and no longer worried about getting mauled, she'd begun to notice just how big this dog really was. It easily towered over her crouched form and it's paws were _gigantic_.

As her hands slid down to the dog's ears she let out an audible gasp that startled both Lily and the dog.

"What? What's wrong?!" Lily asked, her eyes wide with alarm.

"His ears are s _o **d**_ **a** _ **mn so**_ ** _f_ t** _ **!** "_ (Name) aggressively whispered, dramatically sending the redhead a wide-eyed look. "Serious _ly!_ _Touch them!"_

Lily rolled her eyes exasperatedly, but bent down next to the (h/c) haired girl anyways. She tentatively reached out, but hesitated when her hand was only a few centimeters away. The dog, as if sensing her fear, leaned his head into her palm.

This seemed to have stamped out any of Lily's remaining fear and a smile stretched onto the muggleborn's face as she pet the dog's ears. "They _are_ soft." She softly breathed.

Then, out of the blue, the girls' and the dog's attentions were directed towards a small girl who tripped and fell face first into the ground, not very far away from them. As she got back up to her feet, (Name) noticed that she was soaking wet.

"Sandy? Are you okay?" Lily asked, hurrying to the girl's side.

She was much shorter in comparison to Lily's five foot seven inches, and most likely no older than eleven or twelve years old.

The girl mumbled something in response, but the (h/c) haired girl was too far to catch any of it. Whatever it was though, it seemed to have worried Lily even more. The latter turned around, sending the halfblood a wave and pointed back to the castle.

(Name) gave them a nod, her eyebrows furrowing in a mix of confusion and concern as she watched them leave.

"Guess it's just the two of us then, huh?"

At this, the dog barked and shuffled up to the halfblood's side with his tail wagging.

"Aww, what a good boy!" She cooed.

There was a short silence.

"You _are_ a boy... Right?"

The dog maintained her gaze, and the two simply stared at one another until it barked again.

(Name) decided to take this as confirmation. "Okay, does that means yes? I'm taking it as a yes... Can you even understand what I'm saying right now?"

She heaved a dramatic sigh and pressed her palms against her forehead. "Merlin, I'm losing my mind, _I'm talking to a **dog**."_

The dog's tail, which hadn't stopped wagging since it had started, was speeding up.

"Why do birds get gender markings but not dogs? Isn't that just so unfair?"

The dog burst out in what sounded like laughter. Or, what she thought was laughter... it was like an odd mix of high pitched barking, whining and panting. The corners of his mouth had even stretched back, giving off the illusion of a smile. Maybe it really was one though.

"Is this funny to you?" (Name) jokingly accused, cracking a smile.

"I'm going to name you Duck."

The newly named dog tilted his head.

"Because you sound like a duck when you laugh."

Duck pulled the most offended face the halfblood had ever seen on a dog. Or at least, she _thought_ he had taken offence, not that she could really tell...

"You know, I should probably really get going."

The sun was going to start setting soon, and it was almost dinner time. The (h/c) haired witch stood up and pulled her coat back on. "Maybe I'll see you around. Even though I'm not entirely sure what a dog is doing on school grounds."

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

There was no one around when (Name) got back to her dormatory. Not Lily, Marlene or Alice. She sat on her bed and removed her shoes.

Her elderly white cat jumped up beside her with a guttural purr, head-bumping the witch's arm. It wasn't until the queen had laid down on it that (Name) then noticed the white envelope she'd left on her bed before going out. (Name) nudged Agnes away, which greatly displeased the cat, but managed to snag the envelope.

Curious, she opened it and unfolded the letter inside it.

_Roses are red,_

_Violets are blue,_

_all of my thoughts are occupied by you,_

_the saucy ones too ;)_

_p.s.: we should go on a date sometime_

_p.p.s.: the flowers are for both you and Lily, courtesy of me and James, ~~it was my idea though~~. _ _~~I just said yes because he wouldn't shut up about it~~._

(Name)'s prime reaction was a sigh. She had to admit though, the letter _did_ give her a good laugh. It was silly, but still sweet.

As she looked over the letter, the halfblood found herself staring at the words. _I didn't know Sirius had such a neat penmanship._ She thought as she contemplated the handwriting.

The words were written in a slightly slanted cursive, but not cluttered to the point of illegibility. It looked so neat and tidy that the halfblood couldn't believe it was Sirius'. At first she even thought that maybe he'd gotten Remus to write it for him. But it didn't fit the writing in which the halfblooded boy wrote his notes either.

Still... She couldn't affirmatively say it _wasn't_ Sirius' handwriting; he hardly ever wrote down any notes in classes. The only time (Name) had seen his penmanship before had been the time she'd set his letter to Violet Oakwood on fire. And from what she could remember, the writing on it had been different and much more messy than the one he'd used here.

(Name) sighed. She was over analyzing things again. _It's just some stupid handwriting._ She tried to convince herself, getting up from her bed with a huff. _I should to go down for dinner already._

The halfblood went down to common room, and bumped into James on her way. The two staggered away from one another, stunned by the collision but easily shook it off.

"Oh! (Name), are you going down to the Great Hall?"

"Mhm."

"I just have to go get something real quick do you mind waiting a sec?"

"Are you going to the Great Hall too?"

"Uh, well, no but don't mind taking a small detour, I need to talk to you anyways."

"Sure?" (Name) watched James go up the boys' dorm, wondering what he wanted to talk to her about. Knowing him, she figured it was probably going to be about something stupid, or along those lines.

The pureblood wizard came back down shortly after, carrying what looked like... A blank piece of parchment?

"What's that?" The girl asked, one of her eyebrows furrowing.

"Oh, nothing important!" James replied with a nervous laugh, quickly putting the parchment away in his book bag.

(Name) narrowed her eyes suspiciously but didn't press him on it. "Okay... Uh, what did you want to talk about?"

"Oh! That's right! I wanted to ask about Lily."

"Lily?"

"Yeah, she's been avoidant lately. Did I do something wrong?" James asked as they left the common room.

The (h/c) haired witch wasn't sure what to make of her feelings in this very moment, or if there was even a word for it. But it was something close to amusement laced with pity. She pitied how clueless he was being. In spite of that though, she could still see just how much James cared for the redhead. Sure he could be daft at times, but the fact that he had noticed the change in Lily's personality and also worried about it spoke volumes. _What a darling._

"She's okay, just dealing with some emotions. I'm guessing it must be awkward for her, _being near someone who makes her feel flustered and all."_

(Name)'s response had been sly but to the point. She was hoping it would clue in the messy haired boy. But no, James was still as clueless as ever, if not more.

"Oh, okay."

_Are you serious?_ The halfblood suppressed a sigh and tried again. "Romantic feelings maybe?"

Now _that_ seemed to have caught his attention.

"For who?!" James asked, his eyes as round as saucers. He'd stopped in the middle of the corridor and grabbed (Name) by the shoulders.

The girl grinned mischievously, trying her best not to burst out laughing. "Oh I don't know, Potter. Maybe you should study her body language a little more. Blushing, avoiding direct eye contact, preening and being shy or nervous around someone are some pretty common signs that a girl is interested." She told James with an amused chuckle, listing the signs while simultaneously counting them on her fingers.

"Of course the list goes on but I won't bore you with unnecessary details. I guess all you have to do now is figure out who she acts like that around..."

Then she walked off into the great hall, leaving behind a baffled and freaked out James.

_Time to finally get this train rolling!_

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

"You look happy." Lily remarked when (Name) joined her at the Gryffindor table.

The halfblood hummed a cheery _mhm_ as she helped herself to some Scotch Broth and bread.

"Why's that?" Lily asked.

"Hm, It's just been a good day I guess."

The muggleborn was still a bit weirded out by her friend's unexplained happiness, but she didn't say anything else and instead shifted her attention on her dinner.

"Oh, that reminds me, apparently the flowers were for the both of us–"

"Courtesy of James." Sirius had been sitting a bit further, diagonal from (Name), and he'd decided to join the conversation. Not that it was odd of him to do so, after all the subject of conversation _did_ partially have to do with him.

"By the way, did you like the flowers?" He added, moving his attention onto the (h/c) haired witch.

"Not really, I'm allergic to Asters. But I'm st–"

The jet haired boy flinched.

"Sorry, I didn't know." He exclaimed, cutting off the girl.

"Well, neither did I."

There was an awkward silence for moment, and the two just stared at one another until they both began to crack up with laughter.

"I'm still giving you a point for effort."

"Oh, good to know!" Sirius grinned, leaning forward so he could rest his chin on his palm in a suggestive manner. "So how about that date then~?"

"I'm sorry but I'm not interested..." (Name) told him.

She hoped her words hadn't come across too harshly, but he didn't seem to mind her rejection one bit. His confidence hadn't even faltered in the slightest.

"One day, (Last Name), one day you'll say yes." He swore.

_What is this? Immunity to rejections?_

Maybe he just assumed she was playing hard to get? _Ah, who knows._

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

The evening was wrapping up quietly. Gryffindors had begun to flock into the common room as curfew approached and it was raising quite a bit of chaos.

"We should sneak out after curfew!" A girl excitedly suggested to the one beside her. They looked to be around thirteen or fourteen.

"But we might get caught!" The other one gasped.

"So then we just, _don't_ _get caught."_

_What kind of plan is that?_ (Name) thought as she weaved past the girls. They were foolish if they thought sneaking out without being noticed would be a simple task.

While she didn't often break the rules– mostly for fear of Filch and his devilish cat, there had still been a few exceptions where she'd made an attempt.

Like in her second year after being dared to sneak into the kitchens by Alice. Long story short; as it turned out, the elf in charge _did not_ take kindly to visitors.

He'd yelled and shouted at her, uninterested in her pleas for him to quiet down. It had eventually caught the attention of Filch, resulting in detention.

On her way up to her dormatory, (Name) heard the Gryffindor Quidditch captain call his seeker over. She paused for a second to listen.

For a brief moment, Remus' words came to mind as she did so. _You know, you really shouldn't eavesdrop._

She chuckled lightly to herself as she remembered that Hogsmeade weekend. _Well Remus isn't here so he can go jump in the lake._ She jokingly thought to herself with a soft laugh.

"Have you seen James? The Gryffindor vs Slytherin match is in a few days we need to go over our plan!"

"Not sure where he's at but I saw him leave with Sirius and Peter a few minutes ago."

"And you didn't tell him to stay for the meeting?"

"No one wants to be _that_ guy, Josh!"

The halfblooded girl couldn't help but laugh again when she heard the seeker's audacious response. _Yeah, **Josh**! you tell him, seeker kid!_

Eventually, she lost interest in the two quidditch boys' conversation and she went up to her dormatory like she'd originally been planning to. She took out the veritaserum vial that she'd been waiting to place in moonlight and placed it down by the windowsill. As she did so, she noticed three dark silhouettes outside.

She narrowed her eyes, watching them until they trudged away and out of sight. She was so caught up with what she'd just seen, that she didn't notice Lily until she'd touched her shoulder and made her jump.

"Sorry I didn't mean to scare you. Are you okay? What are you looking at?" The redhead questioned, looking out the window.

"Ah, I just... Thought I saw someone outside."

"You're probably just tired, you should get some sleep." Lily dismissed the halfblood.

At first (Name) nodded, then she shook her head to try and clear what she'd seen from her mind.

"Yeah probably..."

Any thoughts that had clung to the witch's mind went away as Marlene rolled over in her bed with a loud snore, prompting the girls to laugh a little.

Lily cast one last look outside the window before walking over to her bed. She wished (Name) a good night, and then slipped under her covers with a yawn.

The (h/c) haired girl followed suit, falling asleep within the blink of an eye. The sleepiness she'd been biting back for the past hour had finally caught up to her, and some shut-eye was entirely welcomed.


	10. Chapter 10

This night was harsh; it was raining heavily– _as if the cold wasn't already more than enough._ The droplets felt like a bunch of icicles pouring from the sky. They were cold, but not enough for them to become hail.

(Name) couldn't see much in the dark and she was soaked to the bone and shivering, but she thought she could make out the shape of... _Something?_

She screwed her eyes like it would allow her to see better, but it didn't do anything. It was only when lightning struck and illuminated the sky that she was able to make sense of her surroundings.

It was an abandoned house, and an old one by the looks of it. Nothing was really left of it aside from it's skeleton. The wooden floor had partially sunken into the earth and only three walls remained, joined at the corners of the foundation. They were holding up a second floor which looked extremely unstable. It was swaying about dangerously. Half of the floor also seemed to be was missing, like it'd been ripped off midway. The walls were also holding up a rusty caved in roof, and it looked like it would slip off at any given time. At last, there was a splintered and unsteady, lopsided staircase which was falling apart.

_But that was only what what was left standing;_

The rest of the house, parts that couldn't be clearly identified anyways, were scattered around the yard in numerous piles of busted, decayed wood. It would be hard to tell for sure, but perhaps the missing part of the second floor was somewhere in there.

Seeking cover from the rain, the (h/c) haired girl cautiously made her way over to the standing walls and hanging floor to find shelter. Her hope was killed though, when she found that the space had already been taken up by loads of short pillars and stacks of square-shaped plywood.

Her second best shot at finding shelter would be to go up to the second floor. Of course she could also wander off into the thousands acres of forest that surrounded the plot of land but... _Merlin knows what kind of dangers are lurking in there!_ The idea alone was enough to make the Gryffindor shudder. Sure, bravery was a trait that most Gryffindors shared but she wasn't _that_ brave.

As carefully as she could, (Name) climbed a few steps on the staircase. They creaked and slumped a bit but didn't give way underneath her. She pushed herself to go on, despite feeling apprehensive.

It took her a little while to get to the top. She'd been very careful not to move too briskly, out of fear that she might slip on the wet stairs or that they might collapse, but in the end she managed just fine.

The second floor was worst off than she'd assumed. She'd thought that the roof was keeping the floor dry but it was almost completely torn up. The boards were just as soaked, if not more than the stairs and the paint on them had started to peel.

The only part of the roof that was more or less intact was at the furthest corner, where the floorboards were still somewhat dry. If she could get to that end, the witch would be able to wait out the rain.

She carefully tip-toed her way towards to the corner, anxiously eyeing the center of the floor, or what was left of it anyways. It viciously swayed with the raging storm and was accompanied by loud creaking.

(Name)'s heart was hammering in her chest. She was keeping close to the wall, hoping it could help her keep her balance. _Not far now!_ There were only a few more steps between herself and– _CRACK._

The next thing she knew, she'd fallen through the floor and landed with a sickening crunch.

Now the halfblood wasn't a nurse, but the pain she felt in her rib cage and right shoulder, as well as the sound that'd resonated on impact, were some pretty telltale signs that she'd maybe broken a few bones.

She tried to push herself up, only to find that her injured arm was lacking mobility. Not only that, but the shock of pain she'd received after trying to use her arm had been _agonizing._ (Name) instantly went down, but she somehow managed to twist around mid-fall so as to not fall directly onto her ribs.

As she laid on her back, showered by the rain, she began to black in and out of consciousness. She wanted to cry for help, but deep down she knew it would be utterly pointless; no one was around for miles, who would hear her? It wasn't like she could get up and find her way back to Hogwarts either, she didn't even know where the hell she was, let alone how to get back to the castle.

The only thing the girl could think to do now was to stop fighting back against this impending blackout; _ergo she ultimately fainted._

_"(Name)? (Name), wake up."_

(Name)'s eyes snapped open within a heartbeat, but then screwed them shut right after. She was blinded by sunlight, and for a while she couldn't understand what was going on. Not even a minute ago she had passed out in the middle of nowhere– _had someone found her after all?! Where was she? St. Mungo's?_

She could faintly hear the sound of birds chirping.

_"(Name), are yo– Oh my god! Get me a glass of water, quickly!"_

The girl tried to open her eyes again at the sound of footsteps hurrying away, but the sunlight was giving her a splitting headache. It was like she'd gone headfirst through a brick wall.

Those same hurried footsteps from before came back over, and a warmth on her forearm, which she hadn't noticed up until now, disappeared. She was helped into a sitting position and a glass was pressed against her lips. With her eyes still tightly shut the halfblood had to rely on whoever this was to help her drink.

Up until now she hadn't realised how dry her throat had been. The cool and refreshing feeling the water had brought her was out of this world. She was helped to lay back down.

 _"Get some rest."_ Was the last thing she heard as she allowed herself to drift back to sleep, relieved to be safe and sound.

But when her eyes opened again, she was mortified to find herself back in that dreadful decomposing house, laying on the cold hard ground while rain pelted her face.

She wasn't sure if the pain had just settled down naturally, or if it was just taking a backseat against the cold but she didn't feel any sharp stabbing pains when she strained to get up this time around.

Of course though, as soon as she made such a remark she just _had_ to do something stupid to contradict herself; this time she had briskly reached out for this stack of planks on her right with the injured arm, like she'd completely forgotten about it.

As soon as she'd done it, pain shot up her upper arm and shoulder, resulting in an involuntary and loud yelp. She immediately grasped her shoulder and realised that _it_ _seemed to be out of place._

There was a dent on top of her shoulder, where _there shouldn't have been one,_ and a hard lump up front. It was alarming. Her whole right arm and even her neck to an extent, felt numb.

But the (h/c) haired witch tried to stay calm. Right now, she told herself, her priority was to find a way out from down here.

Problem was... There didn't seem to be a viable one, the only way she could think of, was by climbing back up through the hole, and it would be impossible.

She paced, or more like staggered, through the small space she was trapped in, occasionally pausing to stare at the walls in thought.

Upon further inspection she found out she was stuck between the walls and the piled up debris– the same one which had driven her to find shelter on the upper floor earlier. At first glance from the outside you'd have thought the planks were stacked up all the way up against the wall, but here she was, in a gap about the size of a small walk-in closet.

Now; she could try her hand at taking the mountain of planks apart, but there wasn't nearly enough room to move them around efficiently, and it would take forever to do, with or without being injured.

 _Another option out of the question._ What the hell was she supposed to do now? (Name) slumped against the wall and slid to the floor, feeling defeated.

She had been sitting for a long time, soaked to the bone and shivering, when a sudden gust of wind had picked up, forcing a cold drift into the tiny room.

This was odd. She was sitting in a cramped dark space without any way out. _So where was this drift coming from?_ With a bit of newfoud hope, the girl began to check the wall again, this time looking for a hole, a fissure or– _a crack!_

It wasn't very visible. Actually, the halfblood would've probably never seen it if it hadn't been for the drift.

Although her motions were sluggish, she pushed against the wall with all her strength, until she could squeeze herself through. While it sounded difficult, the walls were so damp and damaged that it turned out to be easy.

As soon as she'd made it out, she had collapsed on the ground with a heavy sigh. She was so exhausted that she just wanted to fall asleep. Part of her mind was desperate to stay awake though, or else she'd die of hypothermia. She stared at her hands in hazy thought as she tried to figure out what she was going to do now.

They were dirty and bloodied, covered in long, thin scratches and bruised, but by now she'd gone entirely numb. She could barely even feel her ribs and her shoulder anymore.

 _At least I got out though._ She reminded herself.

But just as she thought things couldn't get any worse, a low rumble was heard, followed by a loud and ominous splitting sound. Taken over by a burst of adrenaline, (Name) jumped to her feet and dove a few meters further, narrowly avoiding death as the building gave in and crumbled down with a loud crash.

With the perpetual storm rolling this loudly, it was a shocker that the fauna in surrounding areas had heard the house collapse. Birds, in their frightened hastes, had taken to the skies with cries of alarm. Hares and mice had scampered back down into their burrows, and foxes had retreated to their dens.

But there was _one_ creature that didn't seem the least bit afraid. In fact, it seemed rather intrigued by the commotion. The dark silhouette was pacing the tree line, barely noticeable at all in the dead of night.

None of this was noticed by (Name) though. As soon as the house had crumbled down, a thick opaque cloud of dust had spilled out from the wreckage and she'd been swallowed up in it, bringing about a spasmodic coughing fit.

With a few broken ribs, even the numbness that had previously brought her some comfort couldn't keep the pain to a tolerable level. It was agonizing, like an anaconda coiling around her and tightening it's grip everytime she coughed.

She was afraid she might bust a lung if it didn't stop soon, and quite frankly, another injury was the last thing on her list right now.

The cloud eventually dissipated though, and the coughing ceased, which in turn allowed the numbness to settle back in.

(Name) got up to her feet– She hadn't realised that she'd fallen to her knees in the midst of her fit but it wasn't really surprising. It had taken all her strength away, there was no way she could've stood against this piercing exhaustion. It was a wonder she hadn't just dropped dead.

At the edge of woods, still unnoticed by the witch, the silhouette had begun creeping closer. She was none the wiser about it, up until she could practically feel it's breath on the back of her head.

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she shakily and slowly turned around, locking eyes with a pair of green-like orbs with golden specks.

This creature was unmistakably a werewolf.

With it's jaws agape and lips drawn back in a mean snarl, the halfblood could see the imposingly sharp fangs that the beast showcased, as well as the thick, viscous strings of slobber that were dripping to the floor.

She was shaking on her feet, completely stricken by terror. Neither of them made a sudden move. There was some light swaying from the werewolf as it maintained eye contact with the girl, it's gaze solid and seething. Beyond these hateful emotions she detected nothing– _literally nothing._ It was like there wasn't anybody home. At first glance those eyes had seemed alive; gleaming with menace but beyond that point they were dull and lifeless. She didn't know why this was surprising to her though; she'd learned about werewolves in Defence Against the Dark Arts way back in her third year. She _knew_ they became heartless monsters under the light of the full moon and that they could and _would_ kill even a loved one.

But as she stared into it's eyes something seemed amiss... If it had no sense of control, then why hadn't it attacked her? Why was it just standing there and staring her down? Was it mocking her? Waiting for her to make the first move?

There was a strike of lightning, followed shortly by the rattle of thunder. That's when all hell broke loose.

The werewolf lunged at her, it's gangly arms outstretched in her direction. She had tried to back away but was a second too late. It had grasped her shoulders and taken her down to the ground within the blink of an eye.

There was a loud and audible pop from her injured shoulder as it did, and the girl felt the dislodged bone slide down and lock with another pop– it had instantaneously felt right, but had also sent her back into yet another world of spinning agony.

She kicked and writhed beneath the beast in an attempt to free herself, but it firmly held her down, curling it's sharp claws into her flesh.

(Name) let out a pained yelp and kicked up her legs with more strength than before, blindly pummeling the werewolf's abdomen. But because of the sheer desperation she felt, her strikes were messy and caused little to no damage to the beast. It would shrug them off like they were nothing.

With some luck though, a good hard kick square to the lower chest was enough to make it rear back with a flinch, leaving just enough time for the girl to get away. She scrambled to her feet and bolted for the woods.

The werewolf shook it's head furiously, seemingly dazed and confused as though it wasn't sure what to make of this. Admittedly, even (Name) was astonished. She could only imagine that prey rarely ever managed to escape from a predator of the likes.

She had just about made it three quarters the width of a quidditch field, when the werewolf had caught sight of her once more. _No! This is barely even a head-start!_ Despite how ungainly werewolves looked with their awkward, lanky limbs and uncomfortable-looking posture, they could be very quick. It'd catch up to her in a heartbeat if she didn't find somewhere safe to hide.

If not for the adrenaline and pure fear coursing in her veins, the halfblooded witch would've been crumpled on the ground and unable to run any further.

Her ribs were still faintly aching, as well as her shoulder but she'd at least gained some mobility back to the latter. _Not that it's a game changer._ But at least she wasn't running with a limp arm...

In her frantic state, (Name) didn't notice the ground dipping down ahead. She didn't slow down as she got closer and wound up tumbling down, face first into a gully. The girl slat out a mouthful of mud as she got back up on her feet. _I have to keep going._ She desperately told herself.

But a single thought stood out to her as she tried to convince herself; _what for? It'll already have caught up by the time I climb out._

Trying to escape death, which by now was becoming more and more inevitable, was pointless wasn't it? It seemed to be set in stone. _She was going to die, even if she fought tooth and nail to live._

The girl had stretched up to look over the gully, but just as she did, a strong force came crashing down into her at full speed. She fell down, striking the back of her head against a rock and then slumped limply on the ground– unable to move, or make a sound. She could feel a warm, gushing feeling beneath her head. Then her sight started to blur, her eyes were clouding over. Her (h/l) hair, which had been so clean and so soft before, a beautiful shade of (h/c), had now turned a nasty burgundy after soaking in blood.

All she could do was stare at the stars as they faded out of sight and wait; wait for whatever came next.

If there _was_ a next after death...


	11. Chapter 11

When she came back to, the first thing (Name) saw were her dormmates gathered around, and at the foot of her bed. They all seemed pretty tired, but none as much as Lily who was slumped over the edge of the halfblood's bed, asleep with her head resting on her arms.

Marlene sat cross-legged on the floor with her back slouched against the side of her bed, her head tilted at an awkward angle. _Oof, that'll be sore tomorrow._

Alice on the other hand was the only one who wasn't asleep; she sat at the foot of (Name)'s bed, trying to read even though her eyelids were drooping.

It took her a while to notice that her dormmate had woken up, but when their eyes met she nearly jumped twenty feet.

"(Name)!"

Everyone else woke up with a start when Alice cried out. Lily and Marlene had jumped to their feet, and now all three were staring at the halfblood with worried eyes.

She tried to sit up, but a massive headache stopped her from doing so too quickly. Lily was quick to help her up, warning her to take it easy.

Past Marlene shoulder, she could see the night sky.

"What time is it?" She tried to ask, her throat scratchy and sore.

Lily checked her wrist-watch. "Six minutes past four."

"That dream felt so much longer than four hours." (Name) mumbled with a soft sigh.

Though she'd said that partly to herself, the other girls had heard her. Judging by the concerned looks they sent one-another something wasn't quite right.

"(Name), today's the twenty-third..." Marlene told the halfblood, her eyebrows furrowing more than they already were– if that was even possible.

There was a short moment of silence, and (Name) took time to study their expressions.

It didn't look like they were joking, and she was starting to freak out. She pushed herself up too quickly by trying to get out of bed, sending a tidal wave of pain her way. It was like she'd gone head first through a brick wall.

"What?" She weakly uttered, clutching her head.

"You slept through yesterday..." Lily repeated. She had tried to keep her voice as soft and calm as she could but the halfblood could hear the strain in her voice.

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"We tried..."

"But you were really out of it," (Name) turned to look at Alice as the latter cut in. She had taken it upon herself to pick up from where Lily had left off after noticing just how worried the redhead was.

"You could barely stay conscious for any longer than five minutes at most. Lily tried to give you a glass of water but you didn't drink a lot." She then added, motioning towards the glass on her nightstand.

(Name) stared at it in thought, her head starting to spin from the amount of confusion she felt. _Had she really slept through a whole day..? It hadn't felt like it._

"Ah. Uhm, you should go down to the hospital wing." Marlene promptly spoke up after having been quiet for a little while. She sent Alice and Lily a remindful look. "Madam Pomfrey came to check on you but she didn't want to move you there until you woke up."

"What? Why?"

All (Name) could do with this new information she was being given, was ask even more questions. It frustrated her to no end. She felt like she was being left in the dark about all this important information that was about _her_ to _begin with._

"She said it wouldn't be safe."

"Okay but I still don't understand!" The halfblood snapped, her tone involuntarily harsh.

Marlene flinched back, and instantly (Name) felt a pang of guilt. _I shouldn't have been so rude to her,_ _sh_ _e's just_ _trying to help._ She reflected.

But even under the circumstances, she couldn't bring herself to apologise to the blonde. Instead, all she could do was internally fight herself over this– she knew what she'd done was wrong and she wanted to apologise, _s_ _he really did,_ but right now she was too freaked out to properly think.

"We should really get you down to the hospital wing." Marlene merely remarked, choosing to ignore the (h/c) haired girl's outburst.

"How? It's way past curfew hours." Again (Name) was finding herself asking more questions.

She'd tried not to let her frustration show this time, but her effort had been rather poor and slovenly. Her words had come out sounding firm and curt instead of the more natural tone that she'd hoped for.

Still, it didn't go unnoticed; Marlene gave her a reassuring smile. _She knows I didn't mean to snap at her on purpose!_ She thought, letting out a small sigh of relief.

"We'll just have to hope we don't get caught I guess..." The blonde responded. But she didn't seem too sure about this.

_How nice, sneaking out past curfew without a proper plan. And what for? I'm fine now, I don't see why I have to go to the hospital wing._ (Name) bitterly thought.

After a moment of silent debating, she echoed her thoughts. "Do I _have_ to go? I feel fine. We can just ho back later."

Lily shook her head, her eyes glued to the ground. "No I... I think it'd be best if you went anyways."

The halfblood was hesitant. None of her dormmates would meet her gaze and she was starting to believe that they weren't telling her everything.

"Fine," She gave in with a heavy sigh. "But if we get in trouble you all own me a month's worth of notes."

This time it was Lily who sighed. She threw her arms up in defeat. "Okay, sure whatever but can we get going?"

Everyone was on edge, it wasn't like Lily to be this harsh but (Name) knew that it was only because she was worried about her.

The witch nodded as Marlene and Alice started to help her get out of bed. She didn't think she needed any help, but was proven wrong as soon as she was on her feet. She felt sick– a cold chill ran up her spine, and she was wobbled slightly from dizziness. Were it not for Marlene and Alice she'd have probably fallen over.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright." The halfblood managed between bouts of trembling. Was it cold? Because she was feeling weak? She wasn't entirely sure which one it was, but it was safe to say it was probably a bit of both.

The girl was led down the stairs to the common room and out through the Fat Lady's portrait– who was none too pleased about being disturbed and thus proceeded to scold them.

"I'm sorry! But it's an emergency!" Lily called over her shoulder as they continued on down the corridors without stopping.

They then wound up face to face with McGonagall who was out patrolling the halls. The woman raised a brow, a flicker of disappointment in her eyes.

"I have to say I expected better from someone like you, Miss Evans."

"We're bringing (Name) to the hospital wing." Lily explained without missing a beat, side stepping so the professor could see the (h/c) haired girl between Alice and Marlene.

The minute her eyes landed on (Name) and noticed the state she was in, her brows furrowed with worry.

"Oh dear, we should hurry then."

_We?_ McGonagall had turned back the way she'd come and was leading the way to the hospital wing.

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

"Oh good! You woke up then." Madam Pomfrey exclaimed when they walked in, her eyes immediately landing on (Name). "Are you feeling any better?"

(Name) hardly thought asking was necessary; she was slumped over, barely holding up her own weight.

"I feel _great_." She responded sarcastically, her words slightly slurred. This stroll through the castle had taken a toll on her.

The matron hummed in thought, her brows furrowing. She spun on her heels and pulled back a curtain, revealing a neatly made bed. "Bring her here if you will."

(Name) was brought to the bed, and then tucked in by Madam Pomfrey. As she did so, Lily came over and placed a glass of water on the nightstand. The older woman gave the redhead a nod of approval before ushering her and the other girls out. She then gave the halfblood one last look, told her to get some rest and pulled Professor McGonagall into her office.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the character featured in this chapter (Ashley), belongs to flutterfly500 (Quotev.)

Getting some rest was most certainly not as easy as (Name) thought it ought to have been. Over the next half hour, she could barely doze off and if she finally managed, it was a very light sleep.

It wasn't that she wasn't tired– oh no, she was _tremendously_ tired. That dream, that nightmare– it had taken every last bit of energy in her and she wanted nothing more than to curl up and sleep for a thousand years.

But she couldn't. Instead, her eyes were glued to the vaulted ceiling, on which she watched the shadows and the moonlight dance. Ocassionally, she would also see the reflection of a faint blue light every time a nurse walked by.

The wing was relatively quiet for the most part. The most distinct sound was probably the nurses' quiet but quick footsteps, as they hurried from bedside to bedside. Of course there was also the occasional complaints from the other patients, but that much was to be expected.

(Name) let her head fall to the side with a soft sigh and stared at the glass of water on the small table beside her bed.

Tonight was overwhelming and she suspected that it wasn't going to settle down just yet. After staring for a while, she sat up and finally decided to grab the glass. She twirled it in her (dominant) hand, pensively watching the water swirl in it.

No one had come to give her any context as to why they were so worried, or to explain what was wrong.

She took a gulp of water to try and force back a frustrated sigh, but ended up swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and getting up. She couldn't sit around any longer, lest she forget how to use her legs or something.

Unlike when (Name) had arrived, standing on her own wasn't as demanding this time.

She gently placed the glass back on the bedside table, trying to make as little noise possible. She then walked over to the curtain that surrounded her bed, and slightly pulled it to the side to peek through and assess how busy the hospital was.

_No one'll notice. They haven't come to check on me since I got here,_ The halfblood told herself. _I doubt they will anytime soon_ _._ Swiftly, she snuck out to the corridor, keeping an eye out for anyone who might see her.

_Bingo!_ She made it out without being spotted.

It was more peaceful out here; a bit colder, mainly on account of being partly outdoors, but also because of the cool night breeze that whisked through the hall.

She didn't mind it though, her thoughts could flow more freely out here.

"I like to come out here when I need to de-stress."

(Name) spun around, freezing like a deer in headlights. She thought she'd snuck out unnoticed, but there stood Madam Pomfrey with her hands clasped in front of her.

She was about to make up an excuse as to why she was out of bed, but the matron interrupted her before she could utter a word. "I'm guessing you must be wondering what happened today?"

The girl simply nodded in response, scrunching her brows. Was she finally going to get some answers?

Madam Pomfrey sighed and took a few more steps forward until they were standing side to side.

"You had a seizure, (Name)."

For a moment the girl couldn't process what she'd just been told. A moment of pure silence followed, no one saying anything for what felt like eternity.

A seizure? _How?_ She was fine before she fell asleep, how could it have been so sudden? She'd opened her mouth, about to repeat those same exact questions to the matron but she was, again, interrupted.

"Did anything else happen..?"

The woman seemed so concerned, like she was dreading to hear what the Gryffindor might say.

(Name) couldn't find it in herself to tell the matron. Besides, it seemed silly to think that maybe her dream could be anything more than a nightmare. She would have known if it had been something else wouldn't she? _No, it was definitely just a dream._

"No. It felt like a normal night. I felt a little sick when I woke up but that was all." _Technically, it wasn't a lie._

Madam Pomfrey let out a sigh a relief and gave the (h/c) haired witch a kind smile. "Good to know. I don't have any other reasons to keep you in here then, so you'll be able to leave once curfew passes."

(Name) gave the woman a curt nod. "Thank you."

And that was all that was said. The matron returned inside, leaving the girl to her thoughts once again. She was happy to hear she wouldn't be confined to the wing much longer, but a shadow of doubt was creeping into her mind right now. _What if it hadn't been a dream? It had been so vivid... Too much so to feel like a dream._ The witch let out a sigh. Maybe it'd be best to just forget it and move on.

_Well if I have to wait a little longer, I might as well make myself useful._ She pointedly decided, spinning on her heels and pushing open the doors Madam Pomfrey had just gone through.

It was the latter who was closest to the (h/c) haired girl, so it was her she went to. _Well,_ that and she had a suspicion the matron was the only one certified to give her permission to help...

She was sitting by a patient's bedside, watching them drink from a large cup, in which (Name) assumed to be a potion of sorts.

"Madam Pomfrey?"

Both the woman and the patient, a blonde girl, had turned to look at her when she approached and for a split second, the (h/c) haired witch nearly turned around and left, feeling as though she was intruding.

"Yes? Is there something you need? Can it wait a little?"

"Ah, actually, I just just wondering if there was anything I could help with."

Madam Pomfrey considered her offer for a moment, and then stood with an amused smile. "Well I'm sure I can find you something to do if you're bored. I have to write a letter to Professor Slughorn but perhaps you could keep Ashley company until I come back?"

"Sure."

Then the woman was gone, leaving the Gryffindor to sit with the other girl in her stead.

"So... Ashley, huh?" She spoke up, glancing in the other girl's general direction. She was only trying to break awkward silence that had settled between the two of them but given how bad she was at chatting up strangers, things only got more awkward.

Ashley hummed in return but didn't look up to meet her gaze. Instead, hers stood firmly rooted to the cup she held as though it were the most interesting thing she could ever find.

"What kind of potion did you get? Taste any good?" She tried again, this time with a friendly smile.

"Strengthening solution. I... Guess, it tastes okay?" Her response was better than silence, but she didn't seem to be the talkative type either.

She wanted to ask what the strengthening solution was all about, but didn't press Ashley on the matter. The poor girl seemed uncomfortable enough as it was and the last thing she needed was some girl she hadn't met until now, sticking her nose where it didnt belong.

"Okay! All done." Madam Pomfrey announced when she got back. "Did you finish your potion?"

Ashley nodded and handed back the bowl to the woman who just placed it down on the bedside table.

"Get some more rest, Ashley. Call someone over if you need anything. (Name), come with me." The matron told her whilst waving her hand in a 'follow me' motion in the halfblood's direction.


	13. Chapter 13

"Alright now, come with me." Madam Pomfrey told (Name), directing her attention to the latter.

The (h/c) haired girl followed the matron to another bed– this one occupied by a young boy.

She watched as the healer drew out her wand.

"Do you know how to cast Episkey?"

"No."

"Well... I suppose there's no better time than the present to learn." The matron scoffed, letting out an exasperated sigh.

Her answer seemed to have annoyed the nurse. Was she supposed to be able to cast Episkey by now? If so, it hadn't been taught to her yet.

The boy had sat up in the bed by now, eyeing the woman and (Name) with distrust. _Trust me, I don't want my first attempt to be on you either._

What if she messed up? What if she messed up so badly that he _died?_

A steady stream of blood was trickling down from his nose, which appeared to be broken. He'd been pinching the bridge to try and minimize the blood flow.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake. Did you really think I would let you cast a spell– one that you've never cast before no less, on a student?" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed with a roll of her eyes. Despite the offhanded gesture, (Name) picked up a hint of amusement twinkling in them.

"I, uh–"

"No, no, you'll _watch_ and learn." She clarified.

_Oh. Yeah, okay. I can do that._

"Perhaps this scare might make Mr. O'Reilly think twice before trying to sneak out past curfew next time." She commented with a soft _tsk_.

Now that the halfblood thought about it, perhaps she should have been wondering how the boy had come in with a broken nose in the middle of curfew hours, in the first place.

With a wave of her wand and a clear pronunciation of Episkey for (Name) to get an idea of how the spell was cast, Madam Pomfrey had fixed the boy's nose.

She handed him a handkerchief to clean up the blood and turned to the (h/c) haired girl. "Pretty simple, yes?"

(Name) nodded. It definitely _seemed_ simple enough, but magic wasn't ever simple so... _Where's the catch?_

"Be sure to pronounce it properly; eh-PIS-kee. If you don't, you'll end up wishing you could go back to something as minor as a broken nose."

_There it is._

The matron didn't explicitly state any details, instead leaving the two kids to think up a dozen scenarios of how things could go wrong. (Name) shuddered just thinking about the possibilities.

"Yes, like that." Madam Pomfrey told the girl.

The (h/c) haired girl was startled. For a minute she didn't know what the matron meant, until she realized that she'd been repeating the proper pronunciation of the spell under her breath.

"You also ought to make sure you properly execute the wand movement." The woman went on with a demonstration.

All the while, (Name) was taking mental notes and subconsciously recreating the movement, trying to push aside how silly she felt, waving her hand about without her wand.

"I know you wanted to help around, but perhaps you might rather study the spell instead? If you look in my office you should find some spell casting books. There's bound to be some more information about Episkey in just about any of them."

(Name) had perked up at the woman's words, but the idea of going in her office felt wrong. Not unlike the way she felt about entering Filch's office; places restricted to the children.

"Is it really okay for me to go in?"

"I said you could, did I not?" The matron replied with an amused smile. "All I ask is that you not make a mess or snoop around."

The halfblood's nerves soon melted into excitement. She made a bee-line, straight for the office. "I won't!"

"Oh– and, (Name)? If you could; _please_ try and keep your voice down. Some patients are sleeping."

Embarrassment flooded (Name)'s cheeks as she stopped dead in her tracks, a sheepish, apologetic grin on her face when she turned around. This time her voice was barely more than a whisper when she spoke. "Uh yes, of course. Sorry, Madam Pomfrey."

The matron's office was small, but cozy and inviting. Her desk and the books stacked upon it were lit up by floating candles, casting it in a warm, yellow glow.

The girl absentmindedly trailed her fingertips along the spine of each book as she read the titles before abruptly freezing. She pulled out a single book from the stack and studied it's features. It had a brown spine, but the board cover itself was a dark shade of turquoise. On it, a large black dog was pictured.

But what really caught her attention was the large print on it, which read _"Death Omens."_ The fine print at the bottom of the cover, was subtitled _"What to Do When You Know the Worst is Coming."_

First, the hair on the back of her neck rose, then a flash of cold tore down through her body and she broke into chilled sweats. She felt dizzy and unnerved as alarm bells furiously rang inside her head. Her mind was reeling. _No. There's no way that dream could've been a death omen! It_ _was just a dream! Nothing more!_

Surely if she really _had_ seen an omen, she'd've had the intuition to recognize it for what it was.

Though her attempt at reassuring herself was, well, _poor to say the least,_ it had somehow managed to calm her down regardless.

The (h/c) haired witch drew in a shaky breath as she pushed the book back into the stack, making sure it was exactly like it had been before she'd touched it.

Though she had managed to put her fears at ease, the possibility of death omens still lurked in the back of her mind. Constantly, her focus drifted away from the task at hand, and she'd find herself overcome by a sudden sense of dread.

Eventually, she pulled out the first book on charms that she laid eyes on, remembering what Madam Pomfrey had told her; _"there's bound to be something on Episkey in just about any charms book."_

With the book she settled for in hand, (Name) left the matron's office and returned to her cubicle, shutting the curtains for privacy before plopping down, criss-cross applesauce on the bed, already starting to flip through the pages.

As distracting as death omens were, she did her best to ignore the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach.


	14. Chapter 14

In the end, (Name) wound up falling asleep sometime whilst reading. It was astonishing to think she could even sleep anymore than she had, already.

Then again though, it wasn't really all that surprising; she'd been exhausted ever since she'd woken up and she hadn't gotten much more than– actually, scratch that. She hadn't gotten _any_ rest whatsoever.

To think that she'd spent more than a day sleeping in her bed was unbelievable. It had felt– to her anyways, like she really _had_ been up and running around all night.

That's why the idea of her dream possibly being a death omen scared her so much. She never wanted to experience that dream again, not in her sleep, and _most_ _certainly_ not in the waking world.

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

The sun had already risen over the eastern side of the castle when the halfblooded witch woke up.

The hospital was coming to life, and any signs of the quietude from the previous hours had been broken, instead replaced with lively chatter.

Was it already morning? (Name) felt disorientated, the last thing she could remember was reading the book on charms Madam Pomfrey had lent her.

In her hazy state, she could just barely recall placing it on the bedside table before falling asleep, but it wasn't there anymore. Instead, the only things on the table were the glass of water and a parchment note.

(Name) reached out and grabbed the note. It was from the matron; to tell the girl that she had picked up the book and brought it back to her office.

The halfblood let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She'd been afraid she somehow managed to lose the book and it was a relief to find out that that wasn't the case.

Well, now that she was awake; Madam Pomfrey had told her last night that she'd be free to leave when curfew was out, so, I guess she was free to go.

But just as she got up and reached for the curtain to pull it aside, someone else did it before she could.

"Sirius?!" The word nearly didn't come out. It was like surprise had tried to choke it down, instead coming out as a raspy voice-crack.

Sirius though, didn't seem startled at all. A smile was quick to make it's way to his face when he saw her. "Babe, hey!"

"Please, for the love of Merlin, don't _ever_ call me that again."

"What, _b_ _abe_?"

Itwas such a condescending pet name. Or maybe it had just been Sirius' tone? _A_ _ttitude or not, it's nauseating._

"Hmm okay, how about..." (Name) narrowed her eyes as the pureblood trailed off and tapped his chin like he was deep in thought.

_Try it again, I **fucking** dare you. _Though the words hadn't been spoken out loud, the witch's staring glare could speak volumes of it's own.

Not that Sirius cared about this, though. The grin on his face widened, and his eyes lit up like two little Christmas trees.

But (Name) should've seen it coming; this boy wasn't the type to turn down a challenge– even if it'd been figurative, and not _literal_... But then again, what wouldn't Sirius Black give to tease the witch? It _was_ what he was best as, was it not?

"...Sweet cheeks, then?"

"Absolutely _not_." The witch finally retorted after being dead silent for a moment. She hadn't been able to think of any words to express how unimpressed and narked she was. _Even Merlin doesn't know how to respond to something like that!_

"Why not?" Amusement flickered in the pureblood's eyes as he tilted his head in an inquiring way.

"Because, it's obnoxious."

Not only was it obnoxious but it was also up there as one of the ugliest pet names (Name) had ever heard. It made her think of chipmunks and she wasn't very fond of those. Back at home they were a nuisance, little buggers who always scavenged the gardens.

"I guess you'll just have to put up with babe then won't you?" Sirius chuckled smugly.

_Uh-huh, yeah, I guess so._ As much as she'd rather be called neither, she could at least put up with babe. More so than sweet cheeks anyways.

"Hey uhh, aren't there supposed to be four of you?" (Name) suddenly interjected, blurting out the first thing that came to mind, which happened to be the Marauders. Or more suitably; the absence of one.

James and Peter had tagged along with Sirius and were standing a few feet away– though probably still close enough to eavesdrop.

Remus though, wasn't anywhere to be seen. That in itself wasn't technically out of the ordinary. He would sometimes leave the other boys to their antics while he went off to do– _oh I dont know– whatever it is a Remus does when it isn't babysitting it's friends._ But (Name) had an iffy feeling here. She pushed it aside though, instead trying to convince herself that it was nothing more than her imagination.

_Why would this time be any different? It's not like he's secretly planning to overthrow the professors and take over Hogwarts... Although I've got to say, that'd be a pretty incredible feat, if not a far-fetched conspiracy theory._

"Huh? Oh, Remus? He's sleeping in," Sirius told the witch. "He didn't sleep well last night."

"Won't he wonder where you are? When he's awake, I mean."

"Nah, we told him we were dropping by the hospital wing to visit you." James piped up, suddenly joining the conversation.

So, he _had_ been listening this whole time!

"Uh, okay, sa–" Hold on, what had he said? "What do you mean, you told him you were visiting me? How did you know I was here?"

"Marlene told us you haven't been feeling good and that you came here last night. What's going on?"

"It's nothing. I felt a little bit light-headed, that's all." (Name) lied. If no one else actually knew what had _really_ happened, she wanted to keep it under wraps.

"Hmmkay."

"What, you don't believe me?"

"Not really but so long as you're feeling better I guess." Sirius shrugged.

The witch cocked an eyebrow. They might not have believed her but she was dead-set on keeping this seizure to herself if she could help it. "I am."

"Wonderful, can we can ditch the wing then?"

"Yeah."

"Grand, let's get out of here."

There was no arguing with that. As kind as Madam Pomfrey had been to her, (Name) didn't want to stay any longer than she had to.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween special (dirty humour and sexual implications inbound.)

October thirty-first– a day widely celebrated in the wizarding world. Every Halloween, Hogwarts held a dance for students, and with half an hour or so left until it started, the excitement was palpable.

(Name) raced down the Grand Staircase alongside Lily, Marlene and Alice, with the latter eagerly talking nineteen to the dozen.

"Do you think there'll be pumpkin pasties?" She'd asked, turning to face the other girls as they came to stop, waiting as the staircase began to re-align itself.

"We have them like, year-round." Lily pointed out.

"I know, but they taste better when it's Halloween! And, oh! What about the flight show from last year? Do you think they'll do it again?"

"I sure hope not." Marlene grumbled. "The last time, an owl nearly got stuck in my hair."

(Name) snorted. "But it didn't, though." In truth, it had only flown close to the witch's head, rustling her hair a bit– but the girls knew how much Marlene liked to exaggerate.

"It might as well have!"

Alice giggled. "Maybe you should pull up your hood."

"Maybe I will." Marlene huffed, pulling her hood over her head and holding it in place, as if she expected a strong gust of wind to blow it off.

"Lily, (Name)! Oh, and Alice, and Marlene!"

The redheaded witch had turned around in the blink of an eye, faster than (Name) would've ever thought possible. "Oh, what now?"

James showed up, huffing and puffing, quickly stuffing something in his bag before they could see what it was. He wasn't entirely discreet though.

"What's that?" (Name) asked, tilting her head to peer at the bag.

"Nothing." The pureblood brushed her off. "Anyways! Are you on your way to the Great Hall too?"

"Yes, we are..?"

"So are we. Just a heads up, I'd stay away from the beverage stations if I were you." James grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Sirius managed to get his hands on some alcohol."

Lily gasped. "Are you–"

"Spiking the punch?" Sirius interjected as he, Remus and Peter caught up with James. "Yep."

Lily shot Remus a bewildered stare. "Remus, _you're a prefect!_ You can't let them do that for Merlin's sake!"

But the halfblooded wizard didn't meet her gaze. His eyes remained fixed to the ground, an indicator that he was clearly aware he shouldn't be condoning this kind of behavior.

"Oh, pish-posh!" Sirius declared, pushing past the girls, pulling James along by the arm. "We got punch to spike."

"Hey, hey! Wait for me!" (Name) called out, suddenly rushing to catch up with the boys.

"Uh, (Name)?!" Lily called out, giving the halfblood an incredulous shake of her head. "What are you doing?"

"Sorry, Lily, but I want to get to that punch bowl before it gets spiked!" The (h/c) haired witch called out to the redhead, sneaking a not-so-subtle passive look at the Marauders.

"A wise decision." Sirius chuckled, looping an arm around the (h/c) haired witch.

And away (Name) went, along with the Marauders. The halfblood could feel Lily' stare piercing the back of her head, but she forced herself to push down the feeling that she'd betrayed her friend. She knew Lily wasn't a big fan of the Marauders but she also knew that there was a chance, maybe a slim one, that her mind might change if she saw that her friend hung around them. It was an odd conclusion to come to, but quite frankly, (Name) didn't dislike the boys. They could be good company... Sometimes. Primarily when they weren't being troublesome.

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

The Great Hall was already teeming with activity by the time the group got there. At times it almost felt packed like sardines. It was a struggle just getting past the crowd to find the punch bowl.

(Name) filled up a cup while the Marauders were waiting– not at all discretely, for the opportunity to present itself.

"Here, no one's watching, you do it." Sirius whispered in the witch's ear, grabbing her hand and placing a clear bottle in it.

"What? _No!"_

The girl tried to push the bottle back into his hand, but Sirius refused to take it back. Fearing someone might see her at any minute, she had no choice but to unscrew the cap and dump the contents into the punch as quickly as she could.

"Well done, Partner in crime." The jet haired wizard smiled slyly, taking back the empty bottle.

"I'm not your partner in crime." She hissed under her breath, jabbing his side with her elbow.

"Ow!"

"Okay, okay, break it up. Let's leave before someone starts suspecting something." James interjected, grabbing the two of them by the arm and dragging them away from the bowl.

From further away, the five Gryffindors watched as students came and went, filling up their cups. Time kept passing and there were still no signs of anyone being intoxicated.

Sirius had accused (Name) of not actually emptying the bottle– despite it being _literally_ empty. This had sparked an argument between the two which Remus wound up having to break up.

"I _know_ _for_ _a fact_ that I put it in. And you've heard it yourself! Everyone's saying the punch tastes weird."

"Well, what if it tasted weird before?" Sirius countered.

"It tastes fine to me, you absolute idiot!" (Name) snapped, filled with exasperation as she brandished her own cup in his face.

"Can I see the container?" Remus asked, abruptly interrupting the bickering duo.

"Uh, yeah, sure?"

The bottle was handed to the caramel haired boy. He unscrewed the cap, looked inside and took a whiff.

"Ouff. Where'd you get this?" He asked, stifling a cough as he recoiled.

"The kitchen." Sirius replied, visibly confused. "Why?"

"This isn't alcohol, it's vinegar."

(Name) burst out laughing. "Vinegar!"

Sirius clicked his tongue. "Okay, uhm, James? Could I uh, maybe borrow something of yours real quick?"

The two purebloods exchanged knowing looks, a mischievous twinkle in their eyes.

"Are _you_ thinking what _I'm_ thinking?"

"I sure am, let's go somewhere more private though."

"Ah, I thought I'd never hear those words." Sirius joked.

With laughter, the boys disappeared into the crowd, leaving a completely dumbfounded (Name) waiting with Remus and Peter.

"What, uh– what was that about?" She asked.

Peter glanced at Remus before giving the witch a shrug.

"Who knows what they're up to now." Remus told her.

"Alright!" Sirius exclaimed when he and James came back. "(Name), come with me."

Usually, the girl would've said no. Merlin knew what kind of trouble he was trying to drag her into– but not this time. Curiosity was getting the best of her.

"Where to?"

"Just follow."

So she did. Sirius led her to the kitchen, trying his best to steer clear of Filch and his cat who were on patrolling duty.

"Are we– we can't– _we can't just waltz in there!_ _What about Pitts? Or Filch?"_ (Name) hissed softly, as if she feared the house elf or the caretaker would hear them at any minute.

"Aha!" Sirius cheered in a whisper, a triumphant grin on his face. "That's why I brought _this!"_

The black haired pureblood whipped out his wand and summoned an invisibility cloak. The (h/c) haired witch was at a loss for words.

"How, what– where did you get an invisibility cloak?" She stammered, inspecting the fabric in disbelief.

"It's James', he's lending it so we can go fetch some _actual_ alcohol this time."

"Wasn't the vinegar enough?" She snorted.

"Nope, alright come on, now." Sirius beckoned to her, draping the cloak over their heads when she stepped up to him.

The wizard opened the door cautiously, and with his guidance, the two were able to move easily enough.

The lights were off and apart from them, there didn't seem to be anyone else around. When he'd decided the coast was clear, Sirius pulled off the cloak and (Name) drew out her wand to cast a lighting charm while he locked the door behind them.

"Where'd you get the vinegar?"

"Over here."

The shelves were neatly packed with a variety of ingredients, organized in a fashion similar to that of Professor Slughorn's classroom– only, here, the ingredients were much easier on the taste buds.

"Canola oil, vegetable oil, vanilla extract..." So far, the halfblood hadn't found any alcohol. She was walking alongside the shelves, quietly reading off the labels to herself when Sirius called out to her.

"Found it!"

He jogged over to her side, holding a green tinted bottle with a champagne label.

"Yeah, you've got it right this time." She teased. "Now let's get out of here before someone finds us."

Unfortunately though, it seemed (Name) had counted her chickens before they'd hatched–

"Who's there? Show yourself!" A gruff voice ordered from behind the door, rattling the doorknob.

Without warning her, Sirius grabbed the (h/c) haired witch's arm and briskly pulled her under a table, _just_ managing to drape the cloak over the both of them before the door was unlocked and opened.

"Don't move." Sirius warned her with a whisper, his breath fanning against her neck as he spoke.

(Name) could hardly nod. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she could feel her heart beating a mile an hour. And pressed up against the pureblood's chest, she could also feel _his_ heart beating erratically. She wondered if he could feel hers too. They were so close that his scent flooded her nostrils. Her hands were laid flat on his chest, helplessly gripping his shirt in anticipation– or exhilaration, she wasn't sure which one was stronger.

Sirius stiffened under her, and a weak breath brushed against the girl's cheek as he groaned softly. He tried to prop himself up on his elbows in an attempt to find a more comfortable position.

_Was she making it hard for him to breath?_ She placed her hands on either side of him, trying to hold up her own weight. She was about to apologize when Sirius slapped a hand over her mouth and signaled to her to stay quiet.

Something burned in his eyes– something (Name) couldn't quite read. His face was flushed and his breathing was trembling.

There was a quiet whoosh and then laughter as a pale face popped into view– upside down, sporting a wide, delighted grin. "I foooound you~!"

Sirius jumped, smacking his head against the top of the table. He clutched his head in one hand with a pained hiss, instinctively reaching for the cloak with the other when it slipped off his head.

(Name) poked her head out. "Peeves?"

The ghostly apparition nearly did a double-take– or what looked like one anyways. "Ooh, my bad! I didn't mean to intrude." He cackled. "I didn't know you were getting frisky under there!"

"What?! No– no! We weren't–" The witch stammered, her face burning up.

"Damn it, Peeves." Sirius huffed. "I thought Filch was here."

"He was, I chased him away!"

"Well thanks for that." Sirius sighed, getting out from under the table. He held out a hand for (Name) and helped her out. "We should get back to the Great Hall, we've got a masterplan we need to finish."

"Ohh~? And what's that?" Peeves asked, swaying in oddly in midair, like he were attempting some sort of weird acrobatic stunt. The witch was getting queasy just watching him go...

"Ah! You'll just have to wait and see!" Sirius told him.

"Well then, I can't wait!" The poltergeist announced, pulling off a flip before taking off through the wall.

Sirius shook out the cloak and lazily draped it over his shoulders. "Come on then, looks like we've got ourselves an audience." He told the girl, holding out a hand in an invitation.

When she took it, the pureblood drew her to his side and pulled the cloak over their heads.

"Let's go, Buckaroo." She chuckled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bonus: Sirius successfully manages to spike the punch. Hogwarts now no longer hosts annual halloween dances.


	16. Chapter 16

It'd be a few days yet until a month had gone by since (Name)'d had her seizure. Things were running smoothly and there hadn't been any repeat incidents since then– _and hopefully there wouldn't be another._

A week or so was left before Christmas break and everyone at Hogwarts were in high spirits. Or well, _nearly_ everyone.

"I just can't do it!"

"That's because you're doing it wrong." James remarked.

Right now, (Name) was sat in the great hall with the Marauders. Surprising as it was, she'd found herself spending more and more time with the boys as of late– much to Lily's disapproval.

She'd been having a hell of a hard time with the bird-conjuring charm and the boys had offered help.

"Here, watch me." James told the (h/c) haired witch, drawing out his wand. He waved it and– "Avis!" A small swarm of siskins erupted from his wand.

The wand motion seemed simple enough, and so did the pronunciation. _Third time lucky, right?_

Copying the motion the wizard had traced with his wand, (Name) cast the spell, only managing to conjure a few feathers. She let out a frustrated groan.

"You're getting there!" Peter encouraged her.

"Thanks." (Name) sighed, propping an elbow onto the table and resting her chin against her palm.

She watched the siskins James conjured fly about and land on tables to peck at crumbs.

"You know," She started, when James made them vanish. "You're a lot more skilled at transfiguration than Lily says you are."

James merely seemed amused by her statement.

"What does she say?" Peter asked, his eyes round with curiosity.

"Mostly that he sucks."

"I _intentionally_ suck." James corrected the witch.

(Name) blinked owlishly. "Why? Why would you want to pretend to be bad at something you're _good_ at?"

"Because then he can ask Lily for help." Remus chimed in, though his eyes remained glued to the book he was reading.

"Precisely! If she spends time with me, she's bound to fall for my charms."

"It's a hare-brained plan." Remus snorted.

"It might actually work, though." (Name) retorted.

"You think so?" Remus asked, a quizzical look in his eyes when he finally looked up.

"Yeah, I mean, maybe, _just maybe_ , if you give it another hundred years or so?"

"Ooh, James, Buddy, you just got _dissed."_ Sirius barked out a laugh.

"That's ironic," James scoffed. "Coming from you."

(Name) blinked incredulously. "Me?"

"Yes, _you_. Your love life's practically non-existent, have you ever even _held_ a guy's hand?"

The witch tried to retort but her mouth was dry. She suddenly felt self-conscious. What would they say if she told them the truth? That she had no experience when it came to romance– would they judge her?

Her gaze flitted nervously around the room, her face flushed with embarrassment. "...No..."

There was a moment of astonished silence. Had they sensed her discomfort?

Sirius stood up from where he'd been sitting across the table and came to sit beside her. (Name) didn't fight him when he grabbed her hand and interlocked his fingers with hers. Instead, it seemed like her face was burning up a million shades brighter.

Her eyes met his, and a profound sense of warmth enveloped her when she saw the self-satisfied look on Sirius' face– but it wasn't smug or arrogant. He looked genuinely pleased and delighted.

(Name) cleared her throat, bashfully breaking eye contact. Still, she didn't pull her hand from his.

"That's bold coming from you, though." She retorted, trying to regain her composure.

James seemed taken aback by this. "Huh? How so?"

"Well, who's hand have _you_ held?"

"Padfoot's." The jet-black haired boy snorted, like the answer was obvious.

"He doesn't count."

"Oh, then, uh... No one... I guess." He muttered, his own face turning red.

(Name) let out a sympathetic sigh. She'd only meant to give the pureblood a taste of his own medicine but now she could see she'd wounded him. Was he so head over heels in love with Lily that he had never considered dating someone else?

The halfblood stood up and pulled her hand out of Sirius', apologizing meekly. "I'll go now."

As the doors to the Great Hall closed behind her, she brushed a strand of (h/c) hair out of her face and let out a defeated sigh. She felt awful. Of course James hadn't ever been with another girl. It was Lily, it had _always_ been Lily– since the beginning.

When she heard the doors open again behind her, (Name) felt a glimmer of hope. _Had Sirius come after her?_ She shook her head in disbelief. No of course he hadn't, and why should she care if he had?

Instead, the (h/c) haired girl found herself in the company of a Slytherin she'd seen before. She'd never outright spoken to him but she'd met him when Lily had introduced them.

"You shouldn't be friends with Potter. And you should be more careful with what you tell him. You're only asking for trouble by provoking him like that."

(Name) bristled. "I'm not provoking _anyone_. And who are _you_ to advise me on anything? Let alone something that doesn't concern you."

"It _does_ concern me."

"I'm not sure if you know this, Snape," The halfblood snapped. "But not _everything_ Potter does is of your business."

(Name) waited for Snape to answer her or argue, but the halfblooded Slytherin remained silent. Thinking the argument was over, the (h/c) haired witch walked off only to be followed by the wizard. She spun around, thinking that maybe he'd been trying to find the right words to use, and waited for him to spit it out.

"He's a bully. You've seen him yourself, so why don't you ever stand up?"

(Name) froze. In this very moment, several years of torment came crashing down upon the Gryffindor to haunt her. The faces and expressions of countless passersby who had witnessed her abuse– who had seen her be pushed around, kicked at and spat on, instantaneously raced in her mind.

_Stand up?_ **_STAND UP?_**

"Because unlike you, I know how to stay out of other people's business." She snarled, swiftly turning the corner to get away.

Snape didn't get a chance to say anything before he was interrupted by a sickly-sweet voice. "Would you look what the cat dragged in. Nice catch, Severus."

_What?_ (Name) felt the blood drain from her face. _Did he lure me here?_ _Is this some sort of sick, twisted way to get revenge on James? Because I've been hanging around the Marauders? Is this what he meant earlier?_

Among the Slytherins, two– apart from Snape, were familiar; Hollis and Asterea were sneering at her. Hadn't she seen enough of them by now?

"What do you want?" (Name) asked dryly. She tried to grab her wand, but Hollis was a step ahead of her.

"Expelliarmus!" The halfblood's wand flew out of her hand and landed a few feet away from her where it was picked up by Snape.

She stared at him intently, willing him to help her out and give her back her wand, but he only stared back blankly. He seemed to be rooted in place.

"You should know better by now, (Last Name)." Hollis taunted the Gryffindor, twirling her wand in an overly dramatic fashion.

There was nothing the (h/c) haired girl could do. She didn't have her wand and she was outnumbered.

"Oi! (Last Name)." (Name) snapped her head back in Hollis' direction as the latter stomped right up to her. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Then, before anyone could process what was about to occur, the pureblooded witch raised her hand and slapped the other one across the face– _hard._

(Name) staggered backwards and fell to the ground, her eyes tearing up from the stinging sensation. Not wanting to give the Slytherins the satisfaction they so desperately sought, the Gryffindor blocked out their snide remarks, instead pushing herself to get up and start picking up her belongings which had scattered on the floor when she fell.

This only seemed to anger Hollis though, and the girl stomped her foot on the halfblood's wrist while she was reaching out to pick up one of her things.

(Name) yelped in pain. She tried to free her hand but the Slytherin only applied more weight. "Let go!"

Hollis' eyes darkened with anger. "That's disgusting. Just how pathetic are you?" She scoffed, drawing her wand to jinx the (h/c) haired girl. "Oppugno!"

Multiple books that had fallen out of (Name)'s arms began to levitate off the ground, before charging at the halfblood. Pinned uncomfortably, she couldn't dodge them as they began battering her repeatedly.

"Stop!" She tried to plead again.

But the Slytherins weren't done. Another witch– one (Name) didn't recognize, whipped out her wand and cast the tempest jinx. Lightning flowed out from the witch's wand and hit the (h/c) haired girl's shoulder. She nearly shrieked as a jolt of excruciating pain ran through her body. _This,_ she thought in that moment, was just plain cruelty.

When the jinxes finally let up, the girl shakily stood up. Her wand was tossed at her feet.

"Come on, let's get back to the common room before Pamela throws a fit." Hollis told the others. "Are you coming, Severus?"

Snape didn't respond vocally but he followed them as they began to leave. Anger, stronger than (Name) had ever felt, stirred up in her gut. He hadn't so much as directly looked at her since this had all started.

She remembered what he'd said earlier. _"Why don't you ever stand up?"_ He'd asked her. The girl felt sick to her stomach. _What a load of shit._ Well he might've been a hypocrite but _she_ sure wasn't.

"Wait!"

When the Slytherins didn't stop, the girl called out again, this time more firmly and louder. "I said, _wait!"_

The group turned around and Hollis glared. "What?"

"If you want to beat me, Selwyn, then do it earnestly. The courtyard, after Christmas break. You and me, we'll duel." (Name) asserted, glaring back.

Hollis let out a condescending laugh. "Fine, have it your way, (Last Name). Either way, you'll be the one running away with your tail between your legs when I beat you in front of everyone."

With this final threat, the Slytherins left. (Name) was sore, and she was out of mind with exhaustion. But she was going to fulfill the promise she'd made to herself. She was going to stand up, once and for all.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Identical siblings featured in this chapter belong to aripup (Quotev.)

Rolling hills and valleys were flying by outside of the compartment's window, quite the breathtaking sight around this time of the year. Fresh snow coated the landscapes in a pure ivory glow, that almost seemed blinding under the sun.

But judging by the way she was staring through the glare mindlessly, it seemed that going blind was the least of (Name)'s concerns right now.

"(Name)? (Name)."

"Huh? Sorry, what?" The witch asked, abruptly jostled from her thoughts when she realized Alice had been trying to get her attention.

"I asked if you wanted a chocolate frog."

"Oh, no. Thanks for asking, though."

Once her vision had adjusted to the lighting contrast of the compartment and she could finally see a thing or two, (Name) noticed Lily had been staring at her.

"What's got you so quiet?" The redhead asked.

It was, utterly, absolutely absurd, but in that moment fear gripped the halfblood by the guts. _Did Snape tell her? Does she know about the duel? Of course not–_ Lily and Snape weren't even on speaking terms.

"I'm just thinking about Christmas."

"Did you finish your shopping?" Marlene chimed in.

"Hm, yeah, just about, but I can't find anything for my Mum."

"Doesn't your mom collect antiques? You should've checked out that store in Knockturn Alley– what's it called again? Burgin and Borkes? I heard they sell a bunch of old stuff there." The blonde joked.

" _Borgin and Burkes,_ but yes."

 _"I've_ heard Kockturn Alley is crawling with dark wizards, I wouldn't go there even if I was offered a million galleons." Alice retorted with a shiver.

"I don't know." Marlene shrugged. "I'd much rather go to Knockturn Alley than be in the Shrieking Shack for any longer than a _minute_. _"_

"No way." (Name) snorted. "The place isn't _actually_ haunted. It's all a bunch of lies meant to keep us away."

"You don't _think_ it is, but you don't actually know."

"And even if it was," The halfblood countered. "I'd be more inclined to be afraid of living wizards than the dead kind. Only Merlin knows what death eaters are capable of doing." She added matter-of-factly.

"I'm with (Name) on this one." Lily agreed, her red locks bobbing as she nodded vehemently. "Why do you think Dumbledore lets them stay at Hogwarts?"

"Well, death eaters at Hogwarts or not, I have to go use the restroom." Alice announced, standing up.

"I'll go with you." Marlene offered, standing too. "I could stretch my legs a little."

"What? Are you scared?" (Name) taunted.

"What? _No!_ I just need to pee."

As both girls left the compartment, closing the door behind them, Lily let out a sigh and rested her head against the window as she gazed at the scenery.

"Sometimes I don't feel safe." She confessed.

"Lily..."

"At least we only have a year and half left, right?" She joked, letting out a strained laugh.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Hogwarts is meant to be a safe place for everyone."

"Don't get me wrong, I enjoy classes and learning new things. I just wish this whole You-Know-Who business wasn't going on."

"You and me both." (Name) sympathized. But deep down guilt pricked her. She'd been so preoccupied with her own problems that she'd forgotten just how much harder it must've been for the muggleborns.

As the train jigged and wheeled over rough terrain, a haze came over the (h/c) haired witch and it was like she was suddenly sure that things would be alright. She wasn't sure _why_ she believed so, but there was something reassuring about this newfound light.

She was about to say something to try and comfort her when Alice shoved open the compartment door at breakneck speed. "Ugh, I can't _wait_ to get home."

The brunette scrunched her nose when she realized only the three of them were here. "Where's Marlene? She's not back yet?"

"She's not with you?"

"No, I assumed she came back without me."

(Name) shrugged. "She probably just stopped to talk with someone she knows."

There was an audible gasp from Alice and her eyes rounded dramatically. "Do you reckon she went to see Elijah?"

"Elijah? Who's that?"

"A boy she fancies." Lily explained, her tone turning slightly sour as she continued. "But you'd know that if you weren't spending so much time with James."

"Oh, come on, Lily. He's not as bad as you make him out to be." (Name) told the redhead jokingly, though her words were meant to be more serious than they sounded.

Lily huffed, seemingly defeated. "Fine, whatever."

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

The train station bustled with foot-traffic as students disembarked the Hogwarts Express, rushing to greet their loved ones on the platform.

Lily, Alice and Marlene had already left to meet their own families, and (Name) was left to navigate the crowds by herself. And with a relatively big travelling bag in one hand and a cat carrier in the other, it was nearly impossible to get through. She tried to push past other people, but she'd just wind up deeper into the crowd.

"Here, come this way."

The halfblood froze and spun around in confusion, thinking someone was talking to her. But she didn't see anyone, and with the commotion surrounding her, it was hard to figure out if she'd really heard it or if her brain was just playing tricks on her. But then a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her away as she was about to starting walking again.

"No, _this_ way. Follow me."

 _So she hadn't imagined it after all!_ A boy– about her age she figured– with dark, curly hair and a caramel complexion, was leading her out of the crowd and to an isolated corner of the station, where a girl was waiting, nonchalantly kicking pebbles as she leaned against the wall. She looked up as they approached.

"Ah, you're back! Why'd you leave so suddenly?" She asked him, giving the halfblood a side-eyed, curious glance. "And who's this?"

While the boy launched into an explanation of how he'd fished her out of the crowd, (Name) lost herself in her thoughts as she watched them. _They must be siblings._ She realized. _They almost seem identical._

"Well, it's nice to meet you, I'm–" Before the younger girl could finish saying what she was about to say, she was interrupted by a scraggly looking man.

He'd jogged over, unkempt brown locks falling in his eyes. "There you are, I was looking for you."

(Name) jumped, her eyes lighting up. "Dad! Sorry, the station's really packed."

"No big deal." He simply shrugged and turned his attention to the other two kids. "Sorry to interrupt kiddos, but I'm afraid we'll have to leave."

"Oh uh, well, thanks. Bye." (Name) waved awkwardly, unsure of what she should say. They weren't exactly friends, despite her father seemingly assuming so.

The two kids simply nodded and went back to doing whatever they'd been up to before– or well, that's what the halfblood guessed anyways.

Her father straightened up his overcoat and brushed the hair out of his face before grabbing Agnes' carrier. "Come on. Your mum's _dying_ to see you."

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

Outside the station, the air was much warmer than it had been this morning when (Name)'d boarded the train in Hogsmeade. Perhaps it was London weather or maybe just the sun poking it's head out of the clouds, but whatever it was, it was a welcomed change from the bitter winter cold.

"Oh, Gregory, you're back!"

A petite woman, donning a long black coat with fur trims hurried over– as quickly as she could with the leather high-heel boots she was wearing– when she spotted the girl and her father, and threw herself into the man's arms. With that display of affection you'd have thought she hadn't seen him in over a decade.

"Hi, Mum, I'm–"

The second she spoke, the halfblood's mother spun around, fixing a glaring gaze on her. _**"You!**_ _(First, Middle, Last Name)!_ Don't you know how worried sick I've been?! How do you think I felt when I received an owl from Professor Dumbledore and the Matron to notify me that you had a seizure?! Was this not something you thought I ought to know about?!"

_Oh no._

"I didn't want to worry you..." She mumbled quietly, her eyes downcast in a mixture of embarrassment and shame. Of course her mother had the right to be angry, but she was attracting attention by shouting.

"Worry me? _Worry me, my arse!"_

All around the three of them, eyes were begining to turn in their direction.

"Ankaa, Sweetheart, why don't we go home and talk about this some more there?"

(Name) was grateful when her father jumped in to try and ease the situation. She didn't need the whole of London to know about her medical business.

"Fine, but you're not off the hook!" Ankaa declared, pointing a sharp-nailed finger at her daughter.

_Oh, and what a fun conversation that's going to be..._


	18. Chapter 18

(Name) was sat on the couch with a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate, Agnes contently curled up in her lap and purring as loudly as a trumpet. No one had spoken a word since they'd apparated home and despite the occasional reassuring smiles the girl got from her father, the atmosphere was tremendously tense– so much so, that it was uncomfortable.

After some running through the house, Ankaa joined her family in the parlor, settling in a love seat, sat in such a way that she was facing her daughter. Dread bubbled in the pit of the halfblood's stomach as she wrung her hands. _This is going to be an uncomfortable conversation, I can already feel it._

"So, mind telling me what happened?" Ankaa asked.

"I thought the school already did that?"

"Yes, but I want to hear it from _you_. _"_

"Okay, well I was tired so I went to bed, fell asleep and when I woke up I wasn't feeling too hot."

"And did you... Experience, anything... Weird?"

(Name) rolled her eyes. _What? Why was she asking her that? Thinking about it, hadn't the matron asked her the same exact question?_

"What do you want me to say, exactly? I was kind of busy having a seizure, _weren't I?"_

"I'm being serious!" Ankaa exclaimed frustratedly.

"And so am I!" The young witch retorted, equally exasperated. "But you won't believe me– _and why are you so mad at me?!"_

_"Because I care about you!"_ Ankaa shouted.

But (Name) was far too frustrated to listen to what her mother had to say anymore. She'd sprung out of her seat and stormed off, going up the stairs to her bedroom. Ankaa had gotten up too, intending to follow her, but Gregory was there to keep her from doing so.

"Just give her some space, Love."

Even as she slammed the door behind her, she could still hear her mother trying to argue with her father.

The teen flopped onto her bed with a groan, trying to drown out the noise by willing her attention to focus on the rattling sound that the ceiling fan in her room made, thankful for the distraction that it offered.

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

Some time had passed since (Name) had retreated to her bedroom, enough so that the sun had already set, leaving the room to be swallowed by darkness– save for the faint moonlight that filtered through the skylight above her bed _(_ _even though it barely gave off enough light to see anything.)_

The witch had been thinking, or rather reflecting, on the year. It'd gone by so fast that she felt like if she fell asleep, she'd wake up tomorrow and find herself nearing the end of her seventh year at Hogwarts. But this made her think– _what would she do afterwards?_ _What career path did she see herself following?_ She'd never thought about it in depth before, all she knew was that she didn't want some boring desk job. She mused over all the possibilities she could think of, from an Auror to a Curse-Breaker, but none of the job scenarios that played out in her mind _felt_ right.

Caught up in her thoughts, (Name) got a scare when she suddenly heard her door shut. She sat up with a jolt, scanning the room with wide eyes as her heart raced– but it was too dark to see anything but a dark figure looming by the door. The (h/c) haired girl was practically fueled by adrenaline at this point, and it only took her less than a second to make a grab for her wand and blast a spell when the figure moved.

It just barely managed to dodge the attack, bumping into the wardrobe before toppling over onto the floor with a startled yelp as the spell struck and shattered a vase.

"My apology, Miss (Name)! I clean up!" A little elf exclaimed skittishly, scrambling to get to her feet, still shaking as she began frantically picking up the vase's broken pieces.

"Tilly! Ah– thank you, but that's alright. It wasn't your fault, you just scared me that's all!" (Name) told the elf, waving her hands dismissively. "But you must've come up here for a reason, what is it?"

Tilly abruptly stopped, her eyes wide like she feared she'd made a terrible mistake. "Oh no! Mr. Gregory had asked me to fetch Miss (Name) for dinner!"

"Hey, it's no big deal! We're all forgetful at times! And thank you for cleaning up the mess."

The house elf visibly relaxed, breathing in a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Miss (Name). I will continue to clean now." She told the witch, bowing in some form of respect.

(Name) left her room and made her way down to the dining room, where her parents were waiting for her. Agnes bounced off from one of the other chairs and over to the witch when she sat down, purring as she butted her head against her legs.

"Are you okay? We heard a crash." Gregory asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied, glancing at her mother.

But the latter didn't meet her gaze. The atmosphere was so tense and uncomfortable that even her father, who was usually pretty laid back, seemed uncomfortable.

Ankaa hardly spoke at all over the course of that dinner, aside from a few hums or grunts to yes or no questions and/or statements. The only words she'd actually _spoken_ were to Tilly, when the latter'd come back after cleaning up the mess in (Name)'s room.

_"Does the family need anything else?" The little elf had asked, balancing a tower of dirty dishes in her arms._

_"No, that's quite alright." Ankaa had replied, her tone unusually cool._

(Name) had always known her mother to be the no-nonsense type who hardly ever loosened up, but this just seemed to be excessive. Surely even her father must've been worried– but no, he was just as quiet.

_What's going on?!_ She wanted to shout out– or break plates, _set the table cloth on fire!_ – **_anything_** to elicit a response of any kind! And yet, when all was said and done, she remained as still and quiet as a gargoyle, only slinking back to her room shortly after dinner.

Was this irony or hypocrisy? Either, maybe– but right now the only thing the girl could think about was whether or not she had started a fight. Were her parents mad at one-another? It sure seemed like it.

In hopes of keeping herself from over-analyzing the situation, (Name) had decided to tuck herself into bed with a book. But she could only flip through the pages halfmindedly– her thoughts running a mile a minute. Her worries and unanswered questions were really weighing on her.

But then a better distraction– more like a resolution, to be more precise, came knocking at her door. The latter was pushed ajar and the girl's father poked his head in through the crack.

"Can I come in?" He asked, a thin smile on his face.

When (Name) gave him an affirmative hum, Gregory came in and closed the door behind him– though not before Agnes sauntered in– and sat on the edge of the bed while the cat curled up in the girl's lap.

Slowly, the forced smile on his face faded into a passive-looking expression. "I'm sorry about dinner."

"Why? What could you have _possibly_ done?"

Gregory rolled his eyes. "Okay, I know it wasn't the best evening but can we please lay back on the attitude?"

"Fine."

"You know your mother's only hard on you because she loves you, right?"

"Is she? _Is she really?_ I'm not having the best year, okay? The last thing I need is for her to pester me!" By now tears were welling up in (Name)'s eyes and her voice was starting to lift.

"Hey, hey, it's alright." He cooed, stretching forward to pat the witch's shoulder. "Tell you what, I'll try and speak to your mother."

"Okay." She gave in, a quiet sigh escaping her lips.

For now, she'd have to hope that her father could talk to her mother and get her to stand down, even if only for a little bit, at least.


	19. Chapter 19

"Greg, love, could you go down to the cellar to fetch some wine bottles for me, please?"

"Of course." As he left the kitchen and headed for the wine cellar, Gregory ran into (Name) just as she came down the staircase and turned the corner.

Things were still a little bit awkward between her and her mother but they'd gotten much better since her father had spoken to her.

"Ah, so you've finally left your room!" He teased.

(Name) rolled her eyes. "Huh-uh, yup."

"Alright, well go and see if your mum needs any help in the kitchen, would you?"

"Oh, uh, sure." The witch nodded uneasily. Sure, things were better, but that didn't mean it was any less awkward when she interacted with her mother.

"Hey, Mum! Do you need any help?" She asked with forced enthusiasm as she first poked her head into kitchen before then walking in.

Ankaa hummed monotonously, giving her daughter a side-eyed glance as she laid a batch of freshly baked cookies on the counter.

"No, not right now. But if you want to help, you ca– _Wh– Hey, hey, hey!"_

(Name) straightened up like a meerkat, holding half of an eaten cookie. "Huh?"

"No– that's n– don't touch those!" Ankaa told the girl, slapping her hand away as the latter tried to grab another cookie. "They're for the party tonight."

"But there are plenty." (Name) remarked.

"I don't care! don't touch them, they're for the party tonight." Ankaa repeated with an irritated groan. "Speaking of which," she went on. "you'd better be on your best behavior tonight."

"Whenever am I _not_ on my best behavior?"

"Like, right now?" The girl's mother shot back.

"Oh really? Because if I weren't behaving right now, I'd do... _This!"_ The (h/c) haired girlswiftly grabbed a cookie and practically shoved it into her mouth.

At this point she was playing with fire. But she just couldn't help it. I guess part of her wanted to show her mother how frustrated _she_ felt.

**_"(Name), (Middle Name), (Last Name)!"_ **

"Uh oh, I heard a full name, what's happened now?" Gregory asked as he came into the kitchen, carrying two bottles of wine.

"We've got a co–" Before Ankaa had a chance to finish, Gregory set down the bottles and grabbed a cookie.

_"Oh for Merlin's sake! Get_ _out_ _of here,_ _the both of you!"_

Gregory tried to apologize, but it seemed like Ankaa was refusing to listen. He and (Name) were kicked from the kitchen promptly.

"What'd she do that for?" (Name) asked, huffing with disbelief.

"You mother tends to get stressed during holidays." Gregory told her, his brows creased in concern. "Why don't you go clean your room? I'll try to talk to her."

"Why? It's not like anyone's going to go in there." (Name) remarked.

"Maybe not, but go clean it anyways."

(Name) rolled her eyes but didn't say anything else.

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

(Name) laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling as she listened to the bustle downstairs. The moon had begun to rise and any guests attending the party would have all– if not most, arrived by now.

She'd napped after she finished cleaning her room– had she slept through the afternoon? It seemed so.

There was a knock at the halfblood's door and the door was opened as she sat up. Her mother came in the room, holding what seemed to be fancy clothes in her arms.

"(Name), please get up and get dressed," the woman told her daughter, tossing a dress onto the arm chair in her room. "I'd like you to come downstairs and meet some friends."

"Do I have to? I don't want to wear formal clothes."

"Yes." Came Ankaa's reply, her tone much more stern this time. "Now get up, get ready and come downstairs."

With that, her mother closed the door and left, not giving (Name) a chance to argue. The witch scoffed. _Really?_ She didn't want to wear formal clothes.

She flopped back down on her bed and stared at the night sky through the skylight, not at all planning to do what her mother had asked of her.

_**Thunk.** Huh? What was that? **Thunk, thunk, thunk.**_

(Name) sat right back up, trying to find the source of the noise. It seemed to be coming from the window.

Slowly and carefully, the (h/c) haired girl tiptoed over to her window and pulled back the blinds, enough to see outside but not enough to be seen. Was that..?

"Sirius?" She exclaimed, pulling back the blinds with so much force that they almost fell. She opened the window and leaned out. "What are you doing?"

The pureblooded wizard smiled when he saw her, his eyes twinkling happily. "Coming for the party! Do you have a ladder?"

"A _ladder?"_

"Yeah, so I can climb up!"

(Name) spluttered, bewildered by what she'd heard. "Cli– _no I don't have a ladder!_ And why don't you just use the front door like everyone else?!"

"Well, I wasn't exactly invited." Sirius told her. "I don't think us Blacks are fancied." He went on sheepishly.

He was right, the halfblood knew this– but she was up on the second floor, and it wasn't like she carried a ladder with her...

"Well, no but–" she sighed. "I don't have a ladder but try climbing the fence– the one with the vines."

"This one?" Sirius asked, trying to find a hold of the fence through the vines. "I think I got it."

Slowly and carefully, the wizard made his way up the fence and to her window, where (Name) grabbed his hand and helped pull him in through the window.

He stumbled into her room laughing, holding onto the (h/c) haired girl's shoulders to steady himself.

"Shh, don't be too loud! We'll get in trouble!"

"It's alright, Babe, everyone's partying downstairs I doubt they'll hear anything." Sirius reassured her, brushing off a stray leaf from his shoulder.

(Name) picked it up and tossed it out the window. He was right, the chatter downstairs was pretty loud.

"So this is your room huh?" The pureblood asked, walking around to inspect the details– like pictures on the desks and whatnot.

_Thank Merlin Dad made me clean my room._ The girl couldn't help but think, relieved it wasn't the same mess that it had been this morning. "Yeah, it is."

"I like it, it's cozy."

"Thanks."

Sirius made his way around the room, brushing his fingers over this and that until he noticed the dress on the arm chair.

"Ah, and what's this, now?" The dark haired wizard asked, though (Name) knew he was only teasing.

"A dress my Mum wants me to wear to the party. Or well, more to meet her friends anyways, since it's not like I really want to be there."

Sirius chuckled, unfolding the dress to look at it. "That's a shame really, it would look great on you."

The halfblooded witch's face flushed, and she found herself stammering wildly as she tried to argue that really– it wouldn't.

"Well, tell you what, why don't you put it on and I'll be the judge of that?"

If it was possible in this moment for the (h/c) haired girl's face to burn up even more, then it had. She gawked at the boy, unable to formulate anything more than some incoherent mumbling. 

But it seemed like she wasn't going to get a choice in the end– urgent footsteps could be heard quickly approaching her room. In a moment of intuition, (Name) had a sense to rush to the door, just in time to force it shut when someone tried to open it.

" _(Name)!_ What in Merlin's name are you _doing_?!" The girl's mother hissed through the door, her voice tight with restrained frustration.

"I'm getting ready!" She called out, her voice wavering uncomfortably. She couldn't let her mother come in and see Sirius! It was already bad enough that her parents would freak out if they found her alone in her room with a boy– and without their supervision to top it off– but if they realized it was one of Orion and Walburga Black's sons, oh how they would _flip!_

"Well then, hurry up!" Ankaa huffed. (Name) could hear the clacking of her mother's heels get fainter as she left down the corridor.

The halfblood's shoulders sagged with a sigh of relief and slowly, she backed away from the door.

"Wow, she really doesn't seem happy." Sirius casually remarked, sat on the witch's bed like he didn't realize just how much trouble they could've gotten into.

"You don't say." (Name) rolled her eyes, grabbing the dress the pureblood had placed down beside him on the bed. In a sarcastic tone, she went on to say "Now if you'll excuse me, it seems I've got family friends to impress."

The (h/c) haired girl stepped up behind the changing screen in her room– it was meant to be a decorative item but in this case it'd have to do.

"So how come you're here?" She asked as she slipped out of her clothes. "Won't your parents wonder where you are?"

There was a moment of silence and for a moment she wondered if Sirius was still there. She was about to peek her head around the screen when he spoke.

"No not really," His tone was flat and sounded devoid of emotion. "I'm staying with the Potters anyways."

"Oh. Well, do _they_ know you're here?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, no– but there's a party going on right now anyways so I doubt they'll notice."

(Name) frowned. Something didn't feel right. _Why does he seem way out of character all of a sudden?_

"Okay, but why did you decide to come here instead though? Wouldn't you prefer being there? I'm sure you don't have to hide from guests there."

Sirius chuckled, though it sounded to be much more lackluster compared to his usual boisterous laugh. "Oh no, trust me, Babe, I get looks _wherever_ I go."

(Name) couldn't help but pause for a second as she slipped into her dress. He might've laughed but she didn't know how he could act like it was no big deal? To have eyes staring at the back of your head at all times, to hear the judgmental whispers of others... How did he deal with all of this?

"Well, I– damn it!" The zipper had gotten stuck– the girl tried to pull harder in hopes that it would budge but it just wouldn't cooperate!

"Are you okay?"

"Y– yeah, I just– could you come here for a second, I need your help." She asked, ignoring her qualms that asking _Sirius Black_ for help would be a terrible idea.

(Name) heard her bed creak as the wizard stood up. "How could I possibly say no to such an irresistible offer?" He teased as he made his way over.

_Yup, what was I expecting?_ She rolled her eyes.

"I can't get the zipper up." She explained, watching him come closer from over her shoulder.

"It's stuck in the fabric." Sirius reported, fiddling with the zipper.

The halfblood tried to suppress a shudder when his hands lightly brushed against the small of her back. She hoped he didn't notice the goosebumps rising on her skin.

"Ah, I got it." With a careful upward tug this time, he managed to zip up her dress.

"Thank you." (Name) said quietly, her eyes downcast like she thought it would hide how red her face was.

"What was that?" He asked, gently lifting her chin to make her look at him– the girl could swear she saw a teasing glint in his eye.

"I said thanks." She stammered, averting her gaze to avoid having to look directly at the pureblood.

"It's no problem, Darling." Sirius winked as he slowly began leaning in closer, until his face was merely a few inches from hers.

(Name)'s heart was dangerously picking up speed. She could feel his breath against her lips and his hair brush her forehead. The girl tightly shut her eyes, her breath caught in her throat. She could tell Sirius was talking but she couldn't hear anything aside from the frantic beating of her heart– _which, surely he_ _could hear too,_ she thought.

Until suddenly she felt that his presence was gone and she opened her eyes to find him sitting back down on her bed.

"You should probably get going." He told her calmly, as if nothing had happened. "If I'm not wrong there's a party waiting for you downstairs."

"O– oh, uh yeah, right, yes." The girl stammered as she backed up and struggled to open the door. "I, uh, I do, I should probably... Get going."

The minute she was out of the room, (Name) felt what was left of her composure crumble to pieces. _What was that? Was he about to kiss her?_ She had no idea what the wizard was thinking and she had never been so confused about her emotions...


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Twine family belong to Aripup

The party downstairs seemed very much alive and thriving when (Name) came down to the bottom of the staircase. The foyer, which usually seemed too big was now crowded with guests and lively chatter.

The (h/c) haired girl scanned the crowd in search of her mother but she couldn't find her anywhere. There had been a few false alarms; a flash of black hair or a voice that sounded like Ankaa, but the woman was nowhere to be found, it seemed.

A small hand grabbed the witch's wrist and she looked down to see Tilly looking up at her with round eyes. "Are you looking for Mrs. Ankaa?"

Despite the commotion drowning out the elf's voice, (Name) heard her just about well enough to get an understanding of what she was asking.

"Hi! Do you know where she is?" She asked, crouching down to Tilly's level to be heard.

"Yes, in the family room with friends, let me show you to her!" She replied. With her big round eyes, the house elf seemed so innocent– (Name) hoped she was being treated well by the guests.

"Oh, great! Thank you!"

"It isn't any trouble Miss. (Name)!" Tilly piped up as she began leading the girl towards the family room.

All around them, party-goers seemed to be having a good time. She'd seen at least one couple snogging beneath a mistletoe, far too enthralled to notice their surroundings.

"There she is." Tilly said, tugging on the girl's hand to get her attention.

Indeed, (Name)'s mother was standing in the middle of the room with a shorter woman. Apart from the conspicuous glances she threw over her shoulder every few minutes, the two of them seemed deep in conversation. But when she noticed her daughter in the room, her entire attitude shifted.

"(Name)! Come here for a minute, if you please!" She called out with a false honeyed tone as she waved her over enthusiastically.

"Here's my cue," The witch mumbled to Tilly. "Thanks again."

"Prudentia, I'd like you to meet my daughter; this is (Name)!"

Prudentia stuck out her hand for a handshake. "Nice to meet you." a firm handshake– something the girl hadn't expected. She'd assumed from the woman's appearance that she'd be more... gentle. "I heard that you were sorted in the same house as my daughter." She went on, jutting her chin towards a girl not too far away– dark, wild hair– _wait!_ _She_ _knew_ _this girl!_

She hadn't caught her name, or her brother's, at the train station but she'd met them there!

"Yeah, I've seen her a few times," She confirmed, her brows now starting to knit a little sheepishly as she went on to add. "But uh, I never caught their names."

" _Their–_ so you must've met my son too, then. Their names are Ophelia and Elijah."

"Yeah, I met them at the train station." By now (Name) was starting to feel intimidated by Prudentia. The woman was so regal and composed that she wondered if she ever showed emotions.

"Well, why don't you go and talk, (Name)?" Ankaa proposed, swirling a glass of wine in her hand.

Despite the questioning tone in her mother's voice, the halfblood knew it wasn't a suggestion. _**You're** the one who wanted me to meet your acquaintances, so why is it that you suddenly act like I'm a nuisance?_

"Yeah, sure." At least now she was free to go back to her room. After interacting with Ophelia a bit first– the two women were watching her as she went off in the general direction of the other Gryffindor.

"Hey!" She called out once Ophelia in earshot.

"Oh hey! You're that girl from the station! Right?" The girl asked, tilting her head.

"Yeah, didn't quite get to introduce myself last time, though." The halfblood chuckled. "I'm (Name)."

"(Name)! Oh, what a pretty name!"

"Thanks, my parents chose it."

Ophelia giggled, a twinkle in her eyes reflecting the light from the crystal chandelier above their heads. "You're funny! I like that!"

The dark haired Gryffindor scooted a bit on the sofa looking bench she was sitting on, patting the spot next to her enthusiastically.

(Name) stammered awkwardly, cursing herself for not being good with conversations. She didn't know how to turn down the invitation and it wasn't like she could really tell the other witch that she couldn't stay because there was an unwelcome guest hiding and waiting for her in her room.

"Oh come on, I promise I don't bite." Ophelia teased as she brushed away a dark curl from her face.

The halfblood wound up giving in and she sat down with the girl. Awkwardly, she complimented her. "Your hair looks nice."

"Thanks, my mom helped me style it for the party."

"Nice."

Awkward silence. _Oh, why do I have to be so bad at talking?_ (Name) repressed an uncomfortable urge to shift around a bit, feeling as though it would make the atmosphere even more awkward, somehow.

"Your dress looks nice." Ophelia complimented her in return, possibly in an attempt to break away from the awkwardness.

"Thanks, my mom forced me to wear it." The witch blurted out. Instantly, it was as though blood drained from her face. _Why did I say something so stupid?!_ She fretted, burying her face into her hands.

But the other girl only giggled at this. _Why?_ (Name) wondered. _Is she laughing at me?_

"So you don't like to wear dresses then I take it?"

"Oh... No, not really, I dont like dresses." The (h/c) haired witch replied, scrunching her nose. "Yours looks nice too though." She restated quickly, hoping she hadn't somehow insulted Ophelia.

But if it'd had a negative impact on the other witch, it wasn't obvious. "Why thank you!"

(Name) breathed a small sigh of relief. They talked for a little longer, until the room suddenly seemed to get quiet. The (h/c) haired girl looked around to try and figure out what was happening.

A large man with fair skin, black hair and a long but thinly twisted mustache had walked into the room. It seemed as though his mere presence was enough to intimidate people. _He must be of importance to have this kind of effect._ (Name) reflected.

"Who i–?" She whispered to Ophelia only for the latter to cut her off with a hushed whisper.

"That's Mr. Staghart," She explained. "My dad works with him."

Behind Mr. Staghart, (Name) had just noticed a man, he was tall and quite buff-looking by his own accord but that didn't mean he didn't look like an ant in comparison to the _beast_ that was Mr. Staghart.

"Is he–"

"A half-giant?" Ophelia whispered. "Yeah, he is."

(Name) stared in awe as the big man walked by, now noticing the similarities between him and Hagrid– like how abnormally big they were in contrast to the average human.

As he and Ophelia's father walked by, the latter briskly waved his daughter along.

"Looks like I've got to go. But I suppose I'll see you around later?" Ophelia suggested with a smile.

(Name) felt a spike of fear jump in her chest, she'd hoped the other witch wouldn't say that. She always felt uncomfortable turning down people like this but she also couldn't just keep Sirius waiting– well that and there was no way she was going to leave him alone in her room for much longer. She hadn't wanted to leave him there to begin with but it looked like she simply hadn't had a choice.

"Oh– uh, a- actually I'm afraid not, I've got some stuff I need to work on. I only really came down because my mum made me." She explained apologetically.

The other girl was visibly disappointed but she didn't seem to hold it against her. "Oh, no worries. I get it!"

"Actually," a new voice butted in. "I need you to come with us too." (Name)'s father had appeared out of seemingly nowhere, nearly giving her a fright.

"Huh? Why me?" She asked, puzzled.

"To meet Mr. Staghart, of course. We're talking as business partners, your mother and I, Mr. Staghart and the Twines. We'd like to introduce you."

(Name) blinked, dumbfounded. "Oh– okay, I guess?"

"Great, come along then." Her father said, ushering his daughter and Ophelia along.

The (h/c) haired witch was starting to feel uneasy. The more she thought about Sirius, whom she'd left unattended in her room, the more she worried. _What if he was going through her stuff? What if he'd found the journal where she wrote down all of her ideas and her private thoughts?_

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the loud jabbering of her father's business partner.

"Mr. (Last Name)! I was just telling your wife what an honor it is to have been invited to your party!"

"Oh, nonsense!" Ankaa replied modestly, taking a sip from her glass of wine. "Of course you'd be invited! Isn't that right, Gregory, my _dearest."_

_Uh oh._ (Name) knew from the lilt in her mother's tone when she consulted Greg that despite Ankaa's kind and welcoming facade, something in that sentence was a call out. But no one else seemed to noticed.

Gregory's eyes only shifted nervously as he adjusted his tie and cleared his throat. "Yes, of course!"

_Okay this is weird, why isn't anyone else seeing this?_

"And who are these two lovely ladies?" Mr. Staghart asked, gesturing to (Name) and Ophelia. "Why, I don't recall ever meeting them before."

"This is my daughter Ophelia," the man from earlier chimed in, weaving past the large man to stand next to the younger witch. "My son should be somewhere in here too but I can't seem to find him, my apologies about that. As for why you haven't gotten to meet them, they're both currently attending Hogwarts."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Mr. Twine!" Mr. Staghart smiled, swiftly snatching a glass of wine as Tilly, their house elf walked by, making the rounds with full glasses.

"And Hogwarts, huh?" The man hummed, turning his attention to the girls. "I assume you're also attending Hogwarts then, am I correct?" He asked, jerking his chin towards (Name).

Before she could get the chance to reply for herself, the halfblood was interrupted by her mother who decided to introduce her on her behalf. "That's right! This is (Name), she's currently in her sixth year!"

_Can you not let me talk for myself?!_ (Name) irritatedly thought, fighting to keep her emotions in check so as to not step out of line in front of Mr. Staghart.

While she didn't particularly care for the man, or the impression her family had made on him, she wasn't about to deliberately make a fool of herself either.

"That's nice! What are you girls' favourite classes?"

The conversation carried on smoothly enough after that, without Ankaa speaking for (Name) too often.

Mr. Staghart appeared to be a very kind man, polite and courteous, listening without interrupting– _which was more than could be said about Ankaa–_ when the girls responded to a question he had asked.

Still, when the (h/c) haired was dismissed, she was more than content to say goodbye to everyone and then disappearing back into her bedroom.

_Now to deal with an entirely different issue..._


	21. Chapter 21

When she got back to her room, the first thing the halfblooded witch noticed was that Sirius seemed to have fallen asleep on her bed, arms crossed behind his head. She almost felt bad for a split second that she'd made him wait.

But not _that_ much.

"Hey." She barked, tossing a stray pillow at the boy's face. "I'm back, wake up."

Sirius jerked up right, dark, messy locks falling into his face. "I _am_ up! I wasn't sleeping!"

"Sure," (Name) chuckled, plopping down on the bed next to the pureblooded wizard. "Whatever you say."

"I wasn't!" He replied with an indignant huff. "I was resting my eyes because you were taking so long."

The (h/c) haired girl drawled out a teasing hum. "You can play it off as much as you want, Sirius, but get your facts straight– you _were_ sleeping."

The wizard sighed dramatically. "Fine." He rolled his eyes. "If you refuse to listen..."

(Name) got in a knot in her stomach at the sound of Sirius' tone. _Uh oh, that's no good._

Before the (h/c) haired witch could brace herself for what the punk-jock had in mind, he'd had her pinned to the bed, a smug expression plastered on his face. A dog tag dangled from his neck, the initials P and A engraved on it. For a moment she swore she'd seen Remus wear a similar one, only his initials were MY.

She was going to ask about it, but for some reason the words just couldn't seem to leave her mouth. It was as though she had a subconscious feeling that this was something best left unmentioned.

"And what did that do for you?" She taunted the boy with a mocking sneer.

Sirius' face suddenly got all serious, eyes clouded by an emotion she couldn't detect. He leaned down real close to whisper something in the witch's ear, the dog tag coming down to rest on her neck. She shivered at how cold it felt against the warm flush of her skin.

"The upper hand. No girl can resist being this close to me!"

(Name) scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You'd need me to have feelings for you for that to even be possible."

"Oh, you can try to hide it as much as you want, (Last Name). But it's quite clear you fancy me." The pureblood retorted with a smug laugh.

"I don't." The (h/c) haired girl fiercely insisted. "You're delusional, Black."

Something– an emotion she couldn't decipher within the murky pools that were the boy's eyes, sparked in him. His lip started to curl ever so slightly into a slick grin the longer she defiantly stared him in the eyes.

"Alright fine, Princess. You win– but I like you, I really do." He admitted, averting his gaze coyly. This was completely out of character for Sirius and– _Oh! You honey-tongued bastard!_

"Your charm isn't going to work on me, Sirius Black, I already told you I don't like you, so I would strongly advise you stop before you make a damn fool of yourself." She groaned, pushing the boy away.

He fell back on the bed, staring up at (Name) with those big round eyes of his that made him look like a lost puppy. _Well that's not going to work on me._ She thought, a dark blush creeping on her face.

"What about that kiss though?"

"Kiss? _What kiss!_ We didn't kiss!" The witch blurted out in a panic, her cheeks reddening even more considerably.

Despite the truth in that statement– _they really hadn't kissed, Sirius'd just teased her– as he frequently did with girls–_ shestill felt a deep sense of humiliation. Why though? _She hadn't done anything._

"Well, no– but I mean– oh, you know what I mean." He retorted, rolling his eyes.

_Yes, she did, but he wasn't about to know that._

"No," She spoke firmly, though her tone still wavered. "I _don't_ know what you're talking about."

Sirius barked out a laugh, as if she'd just told him a funny joke. "Okay, Sweetheart. If you insist on doing things the hard way, then–"

Almost as if it were all in one move, the wizard rolled out of her bed, grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his chest, looping his arm around her lower back to keep her from getting away from him.

(Name)'s breath caught in her throat and she shut her eyes tightly as his face neared hers. She could feel his hair brushing against her cheekbone as he leaned in closer, until a new sensation took over her focus– his lips on hers. His other arm fell down to her waist, looping around her back like the other.

This kiss was nothing like she'd expected at all– out of all the things she'd heard from the girls Sirius had kissed, soft and gentle wasn't something she'd ever heard to describe what kissing him felt like. She had heard "fiery and heated" more than once. Part of her wondered why this was any different, did Sirius think she was frail and weak? But (Name) couldn't find it in her to be bothered by what the pureblood might think of her– she was quite happy if she was being honest with herself... It was her first kiss.

Sirius pulled away first, his eyes meeting the girl's as she breathed out a shaky sigh, gaze drifting down to his lips before darting back up to his eyes.

He gave her a wink and another kiss, this one quick and light, before smugly replying; _"–this kiss."_

(Name) was at a loss for words. Nothing could make her recollect herself in that moment and come back with a witty remark. She had to admit to herself, _he'd won this one._

"Fine."

"What do you mean, _f_ _ine?"_ Sirius gawped, blankly staring at the girl like he couldn't believe she'd said something so absurd.

"What the bloody hell do you want me to say, Sirius– do you want me to thank you?!"

"Well no, _that_ would be weird–"

"Oh _that's_ what you consider weird?" (Name) let out a hearty laugh. "Not you know– the fact that you sneaked into my room and that you're practically hiding out in here like a fugitive?"

"Nope." Sirius gave her a goofy grin and winked in a dramatic fashion. _"Besides,_ how could I possibly feel like a fugitive when I'm with you?"

"Wh– I– _Merlin_ , Sirius! Just– _just_ _shut up!"_

"You know how to do that." He said in a jest, blowing her a teasing kiss as he waggled his brows.

The halfblooded girl didn't know what compelled her to do what she did next, but she tackled the wizard to the ground and pressed her lips against his.

He obviously hadn't been expecting it. He tumbled backwards and fell onto the girl's bed, bringing her down with him at the same time. He stared up at her with wide stormy eyes and a gobsmacked look, his face flushed in a rosey hue. (Name) had managed to turn the tables and she was getting a deep sense of satisfaction from all of this.

"Now we're even." She declared with a proud smirk, imitating his dramatic wink from earlier.

"So we are..." Sirius chuckled lightly, his expression softening ever so slightly. "... Hey. Look up."

Confused, the halfblood lifted her eyes to see what he was pointing at, only to see red berries dangling above them. "Is... Is that why you kissed me?"

"Tradition, Baby!"

"Sirius, you dumbass, mistletoes have white berries, that's a holly." She told the wizard, lightly flicking his forehead with an amused grin.


	22. Chapter 22

After the holiday party, time had seemed to flow by very quickly. (Name) hadn't seen Sirius since, but the two had been exchanging letters.

As it turned out, Sirius had been staying with James and his family for the holiday seeing as his own had gone from the country on business.

She recalled feeling sad for the boy– she couldn't imagine having to spend her holidays without her family, no matter how annoying she found them.

But he had seemed completely fine with this, which had made the girl conclude that this must've been a common occurrence. She didn't know much about the Blacks other than that they were listed as one of the sacred 28. They had money, and a high status. It'd make sense if they frequently left the country.

But it was also no secret that Sirius had a tough and complicated relationship with his family. But he was everything they weren't; a kind-hearted wizard who didn't care for blood status. His smile could brighten up anyone's day, and he although he always smelled like cigarettes and occasionally booze, she found it intoxicating in a weird way. And that kiss—

"Hello~! Earth to (Name)!" Marlene called out rather loudly, waving a hand in front of the halfblood's face.

She flinched away, hitting the backrest of her seat. "Sorry, I'm a bit tired."

"Yeah I can tell," Marlene affirmed. "Those dark circles under your eyes aren't doing you any favors." She added, pursing her lips with a soft _"tch."_

"Here let me fix you right up, Darling."

The blonde dug into her purse and dug out a handful of products. She set everything aside— apart from a small jar, off of which she unscrewed the lid. She scooped a generous amount onto her fingers and leaned in, holding (Name)'s face with her other hand in order to keep her still while she dabbed the cream under her eyes and gently rubbed it into the skin.

"Here we are! Much better! Now you won't look like you died or something anymore." Marlene piped up enthusiastically, handing the girl a compact mirror.

The (h/c) haired witch flinched a second time. _So bluntly honest._ She thought as she flipped open the mirror. The dark circles under her eyes had drastically faded away thanks to Marlene, and instead her skin seemed to glow.

"Oh! Uhm, thanks!"

"No problem." Marlene responded, falling back in her spot. "Just come to me if you ever need something! I'd be more than happy to fix you up!" She declared.

"Oh, I... Y-yeah, thanks."

"What are you doing here?" (Name) suddenly heard Lily speak.

The halfblood'd been so distracted by Marlene, she'd forgotten that the redhead was here– Alice too, for that matter. But when she turned her head, her jaw nearly fell to the floor and her face turned crimson.

"Sirius?!" The (h/c) haired girl asked as she clumsily jumped to her feet. The brisk movement had made her head spin but that hardly mattered right now.

She dragged the boy out of the compartment, nearly slamming the door shut. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Lily."

(Name) felt her heart drop a little both in disappointment and embarrassment. _He hadn't come to see her?_ "Lily? Why?"

"On the behalf of Prongs," He explained as he fished for something in his pocket. "He wanted me to come drop this off for him."

A golden bracelet, embedded with diamonds lay in the dark haired boy's palm. Fascinated, (Name) let out an amazed gasp.

"Woah..! Merlin, _that must've cost him a fortune!"_ The (h/c) haired witch exclaimed, turning the bracelet over in his palm as she took a closer look.

"Only about £ 390.04."

"...Huh?"

"129 Galleons, 7 Sickles and 11 Knuts." Sirius clarified.

"Oh _shit– that's..._ That's a lot! I don't think... I don't think Lily's going to like the sound of that."

"Like the sound of what?" Lily suddenly asked them, her head poking out through the compartment door with a raised brow.

(Name) or Sirius exchanged an alarmed look, neither of them having noticed the muggleborn up until now.

"Uh... This?" The (h/c) haired girl anxiously revealed, stepping away so she wasn't blocking the redhead's view of the bracelet.

"It's from James." The dark haired wizard chimed in.

There was an audible gasp as Lily took the bracelet from Sirius, tilting it with interest to observe the way it caught the light. The redhead's mouth was gaping like a fish.

"But..." Lily's brows began to crease and (Name) felt a lump rise in her throat. _Uh oh, here comes._ "Where's James... _you know,_ if it's from him and all?"

 _Huh?_ This hadn't been the reaction she'd expected at all. _What's going on?_

Sirius shrugged lamely. "Dunno. He just asked me to bring it for him since I was coming here anyways."

Had Sirius not noticed how weird Lily was being? It might've been too subtle for him, but the (h/c) haired girl could tell something was up with Lily. She didn't seem annoyed with James, like she'd usually be– no, she seemed more... Disappointed than anything.

"Oh, okay. Thank him for me or something, I guess." She told him, slinking back into the compartment with the bracelet.

(Name) blinked, astounded by Lily's reply. _Where was the unimpressed eye roll?– Or the annoyed groan that came out everytime James was mentioned?_

She met Sirius' chilled gaze and rose a brow. "Do you think Cupid's back in town?" She asked, hoping that he'd noticed it too.

"Yep, I'd say Cupid struck again."


	23. Chapter 23

As much as family meant to (Name), it felt great to be back at Hogwarts. She loved her mother dearly, but she'd been tiring the halfblood with her nagging.

Her father on the other hand had been way more laid back during the holidays, which she appreciated, but he could still nag too when Ankaa started getting on his back for being too lenient.

Tucked in one of the library's corners, a hushed voice reached (Name)'s ears. She sighed and closed her eyes, trying to ignore it at first. But no matter how hard she tried to block out the voices, they only seemed to get louder.

"Did you know there was a business-related Christmas party at the (Last Name) manor? I heard quite a few people of higher standing showed up."

"Yeah, I heard some Gryffindors talking about it this morning! Who do you reckon was there?" A second voice chimed in, followed by a third:

"Do you think the Minister for Magic was there?"

Okay– if there was _one_ thing the (h/c) haired girl had liked about being home for the holidays, it was not being at the center of gossip.

Irritated, she sighed loudly, slamming her book shut and got up, storming by the table of girls who were talking. They hadn't seemed to notice her until she spoke. "No, he wasn't."

Then she stopped in her tracks, thought for a moment and spun on her heels to fix the girls with a cold stare. "Also, maybe next time you should make sure that the person whose back you're talking behind isn't within earshot."

The youngest-looking girl out of the three– a second or third year, perhaps– flinched under her stare. Her eyes welled up with tears, and for a short moment, a sense of liability pierced (Name)'s heart.

But when she remembered what they'd been talking about, a lump of bile rose in her throat. She clenched her teeth, feeling sick to her stomach. Her thoughts began to whirl. _Why me? Why couldn't I just have had a normal family? Why can't my parents just be from the same house like every other normal person?_

Fed up, the Gryffindor stormed out of the library, swerving past masses of students in a desperate attempt to get away and find an isolated corner of the castle where no one would bother her.

She swerved around a corner, completely oblivious to her surroundings as her eyes began prickling with tears. The storm brewing in her mind was growing vicious as disheartening thoughts continued to put her down. _Thump–_ Thehalfblooded witch hissed as she crashed into someone's chest.

"Oh ow! Wa– (Name)!"

(Name) froze. She instantly recognized that voice– _Sirius!_

"(Name)? Hey, are you alright?" The pureblood asked, his voice laced with confusion as he grabbed the girl's shoulder with one hand and raised her chin to make her look up with the other. Tears pooled in her eyes, threatening to spill over with a blink.

But as quickly as their eyes had met, (Name) booked it. She pushed past Sirius and kept going, feeling even more ashamed and embarrassed now.

"Hey, wait! Princess, where are you going!" He called out, ditching whoever he'd been with to follow her.

She slowed down after turning a corner, where no one else was around and turned to face Sirius as he caught up to her.

"Please, just– just leave me alone..." She whimpered, tears now starting to roll down her cheeks.

Sirius pulled her into a warm embrace. "Hey, hey. It's alright now."

She tried to get out of his grip, but perhaps it wasn't because her attempts were feeble that she couldn't push the boy away– maybe deep down, (Name) felt comfort and, maybe... maybe she really needed this.

"What's wrong, darling?" He asked softly as he held her close, trying to soothe her.

"I– I don't want to talk about it, I just... I want to be alone."

Sirius was hesitant but he didn't push the halfblood. His arms loosely fell to his sides and he watched as (Name) turned away from him and took a few steps before coming to a halt, her lip quivering as her eyes began to fill up with even more tears. Abruptly, she spun on her heels and ran back into the pureblood's arms as tears began pouring down her face. She'd realized that maybe she _didn't_ want to be alone...

"Woah! Easy now, easy!" He cooed, one arm winding around her waist while his other hand cradled her head and stroked her hair reassuringly. "It's alright."

"No it's not." (Name) whined, choking back a sob.

Sirius let go of the (h/c) haired girl for a moment, casting uneasy glances around. They had no privacy in the middle of the hall like this.

"Wait, let's go somewhere more private." He told her as he grabbed her hand and led her away, his fingers intertwining with hers with a gentle squeeze as if still trying to reassure her at the same time.

"This wa–" Before he could even finish talking, the dark haired wizard was interrupted by a shrill voice.

"Sirius, is that you? Oh good, it is! _I've been meaning to have a **talk** with you."_

Sirius let out a loud frustrated groan, and rolled his eyes as he pushed (Name) behind his back. "Merlin, you've got to be kidding me." She heard him mutter under his breath.

Sheltered behind the wizard, she could see the witch who had stopped them. Long raven tresses framed a mesmerizing, porcelain face with striking icy eyes. She stared down at the boy with a narrowed gaze, her lip slightly curled back irritatedly.

"Not right now, Cecile I'm busy."

"Yes. _Now_." Cecile pressed, glowering.

The two had a stare down for a second before Sirius rolled his eyes, shifting irritatedly. _"Fine, whatever. Go._ I'll catch up with you, but there's something I need to finish first."

Cecile seemed to finally notice the (h/c) haired girl standing behind the boy. She scoffed, aiming a glare at the halfblood and then Sirius, before she doubled back and stalked away. _What's her deal?_

Sirius then proceeded to grab (Name)'s hand, pulling her around the corner. Here, most of the student-traffic had died down, and the two Gryffindors were standing alone. The Greenhouses sat in front of them, with various vines climbing the walls.

As if it were the first thing that came to mind, Sirius went over to the first of the houses and tried to open the door. When it didn't budge, he went over to the next, and then the one after that one– until one of them finally turned out to be unlocked.

He turned to (Name) and ushered her inside, closing the door behind them. "Wait for me here, I'll be back in a second." He promised, fleetingly rubbing her shoulders with a reassuring smile.

The witch remained stunned as Sirius left as quickly as he'd pushed her inside. She scanned the greenhouse, completely dumbfounded.

There was a barren, moderately dirt-free spot in the furthest corner, up against a wall. Perfect, she could sit there– it wasn't ideal by any means but it would have to do while she waited.


	24. Chapter 24

(Name)'d been dozing off under the greenhouse's warmth. She'd lost track of how long it'd been since Sirius had left her there, but she'd woken up when a long tendril unfurled itself and curled around her ankle.

The witch shook the plant off, glancing around for an indication of time. The rays coming in through the, albeit dirty panels had shifted quite a bit since she'd fallen asleep. Maybe a couple hours..? _No way, she couldn't have slept for that long... Could she?_

But even more puzzling was the missing dark haired wizard who'd promised to come back for her. Had he just forgotten her there?

A bit muzzy still but awake, the witch got to her feet. She was headed for the door when she was stopped by a scratching sound coming from one of the glass panels across the room. She stretched her neck to get eyes on the source of the noise, straining to see over the table loaded with various potted plants.

She flinched back when she saw one of the panels pop out of it's frame. Instinctively, (Name) reached for her wand, her body taut with alarm as a heap of jet black fur squeezed it's way in through the frame.

The halfblood took a few rigid steps back, knocking down a few potted plants along the way– which then shattered upon impact with the floor, spilling dirt and sprouts everywhere– but that didn't matter right now.

She was about to cast a defensive spell when the pile of fur shook it's pelt out. It's when she met it's gaze that recognition flashed in her eyes. _Duck!_

Instead, now her eyes scanned the ground, eyeing the mess these new sprouts had become.

"Duck! Look what you made me do!" She exclaimed, though her tone remained soft and affectionate. "Well nothing a spell can't fix, I suppose. I just hope Professor Sprout doesn't notice anything..."

With a swift wave of her wand, (Name) cast a spell that swept up the broken pot pieces and mended them back into place.

"Good as new." She declared, mostly to herself with a little nod of satisfaction.

Next, she proceeded to fill the dirt and the sprouts back into the pots, hoping she were replanting them properly– she tried her best to recall what Professor Sprout had taught her on replanting but in reality, the girl had no idea if this incident was going to damage the growth of these plants. She hoped not, but if it did... _Bummer for whichever class is growing these._

With a heavy sigh, she sat down next to the dog and slumped against him. She could feel his breath fan her forehead as he panted. Her nose wrinkled and she recoiled from the smell.

"Why are you here, Duck? _Waiting on someone too?"_

Her tone must've sounded harsh because the black dog seemed to have flinched at her words, and his tongue no longer lolled from his mouth in a pant. He was still and silent from a moment, piercing stormy eyes watching her– almost... like they were _studying_ her. This dog seemed intelligent– no, he _w_ _as._ could he actually be a wolf? One from that pack of wolves in the forbidden forest? Word at Hogwarts was that they were extremely intelligent. But looking at Duck, he clearly lacked the obvious features of a wolf. Still, she could see no other explanation. He couldn't have been a student's pet, since only toads, cats and owls were listed as acceptable familiars.

 _Where do you come from?_ (Name) wondered as she ran a hand through the dog's coarse chest fur. There was no other explanation; he _had_ to have been one of those wolves from the forbidden forest.

Duck shuffled on his paws, stretching out his neck to lick the (h/c) haired girl's cheek. Maybe he'd noticed that she seemed conflicted.

"H– hey! Knock it off!" She managed between a fit of giggles as she wiped dog-drool from her face, using her sleeves.

But he refused to back down– he was persistent and somehow managed to continuously wedge his head through the girl's arms to lick her face. It took some struggling to get back up to her feet with Duck trying to tackle her everytime, but she did eventually succeed.

"Well, then–" she started between ragged breaths. "I suppose you wouldn't know how– uh, or, be able to tell me if you'd seen Sirius Black on your way here."

(Name) wanted to smack herself in the face. _What a ridiculous thing to say. And to a bloody **dog** , too! _

"No, of course you wouldn't." She groaned. "I'm going insane, I'm interrogating a fucking dog now."

After struggling so hard to get to her feet earlier, the halfblood only sat right back down. Duck crawled in her lap and nuzzled her hand, looking up at her with puppy dog eyes. It was like he was telling her _"don't worry, everything is okay."_ Or maybe she was just being silly...

She let out a gruff groan. "Sirius Black..." She stated, exhaling loudly. "I thought he was better than this..."

The dog tilted his head, emitting the softest, quiet howl she'd ever heard. He tilted his head, nudging the (h/c) haired witch's hand, as if encouraging her to go on.

"Yeah, okay I'll admit, he's handsome and he makes me nervous and giddy when he's around but... I don't understand. Most of the time he's a massive git and full of himself, and sometimes– well sometimes he's kind, sweet, friendly, and he's... he's so charming."

The girl heaved a dreamy sigh, failing to realize she was transparently fawning over the pureblood like a lovestruck teenager– which, _she was_ , but you know what I mean...

Duck's ears perked at the high praise (Name) was giving this wizard, his tail wagging excitedly.

"I– _I think I like him._.." The halfblood admitted quietly.


	25. Chapter 25

(Name) rolled over on her bed for what seemed to be the millionth time that night, heaving out a sigh.

 _"Oh for Merlin's sake, (Name)!_ Would you stop tossing and turning?" Alice shouted irritatedly from her bed.

"Sorry." The (h/c) haired girl mumbled sheepishly.

"If you're having trouble sleeping–" Lily chimed in tiredly before she was briefly cut off by a yawn. "why don't you go down to the common room for a bit?"

"Yeah... That sounds like a good idea. Sorry again..."

Alice grunted, tossing over and turning her back to the halfblood. "Whatever."

In the darkness, (Name) could barely even make out the dark haired witch's silhouette. But she could see Lily, and the sympathetic smile that she offered her.

The witch got out of bed, and followed by her familiar– who'd jumped down from the foot of her bed with a "mrrow" (it was a miracle she hadn't been bothered by all the tossing and turning too)– headed down to the common room.

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

The fire was still alive and kicking when (Name) made it down the last few steps leading to the common room, though maybe it was a little worse for wear. Agnes trotted past her with ease and jumped up on one of the couches in front of the fireplace, settling into her loaf-form with a lofty purr.

The girl grabbed a log and gently tossed it into the fireplace, grabbing the iron fire prodder to slowly try to bring the fire back to life.

As she sat down beside Agnes, (Name) began to think over the day she'd had.

_"I– I think I like him."_

_How could I have said such a thing?_ She wondered. _And after he just... he just left me alone too!_ The girl was angry– hell, she had the right to be!

But none of that logic was relevant in the eyes of her heart. "Stupid heart..." She mumbled as she dropped her head into her hands.

But logic and wrongdoings put aside... _Do I **really** like him? _The halfblood already knew the answer. Sirius made her laugh, he gave her butterflies whenever he flirted with her, and the way his lips tugged upwards into a smile when he was happy... those were all things that made her heart melt, and she knew it.

 _You're in for a brutal heartbreak._ A voice in the back of her mind spoke. Her heart sunk like a stone. It was true, wasn't it? Even if she somehow managed to get her hands on him, the heartthrob would only keep her around for a few weeks, maybe a month at most– he'd already proven that when he'd left in the greenhouse. And although part of (Name) wanted to believe that nothing happened between Sirius and Cecile, she had to face the truth. _That's what he does,_ she reminded herself, _he's a_ _player._

"Trouble sleeping?"

The halfblood jumped slightly in surprise, but let out a pitiful groan as she lifted her head. Remus had just come down from his dormitory, clad in pyjama pants and an oversized "keep on truckin"' t-shirt.

"Yeah... hey, nice shirt."

Remus glanced down at his shirt, a blush creeping over his face. He let out an awkward cough as he walked over and sat beside the girl. "Oh, yeah... James bought it for me a couple summers ago. I didn't really want it but he insisted I wear it."

"That's nice of him."

Remus hummed, and there was a moment of silence before he abruptly whispered. "To be honest, I find it hideous."

"Oh come on! I love it!" The witch teased as Agnes moved from her spot to jump on the wizard's lap, choosing to curl up right there in order to get some attention.

(Name) sat in silence, watching as he gently scratched the queen's head. He seemed to really enjoy the sound of the fire crackling and Agnes purring.

"So what are _you_ doing up?"

"I can't sleep."

"No shit, otherwise you'd be sound asleep in bed."

Remus rolled his eyes and sighed. "No– I mean, I can't fall asleep. No matter how hard I try."

"Something bugging you?"

"Well no– not really but I..."

"You..?"

"I don't know... I'm just, I'm worried about Sirius." He admitted, finally spitting it out. "He likes to say he's fine but we all know there's something on his mind."

(Name) was dumbfounded. Sirius was having a hard time? If what Remus was saying was true, she felt a great deal of shame for not noticing, and any anger she had felt for him vanished almost instantly.

She didn't know what to say, but after a moment, she finally responded. "Will he be okay?"

Remus seemed surprised by the question. Of course he knew the two had been getting close for a while now, but why was he surprised?

"Yeah, he'll be fine." The halfblooded wizard breathed out a sigh of resignation. "He gets like this sometimes, I've just... never seen him this depressed before."

(Name) felt her chest tighten. She so desperately wanted to know what could be making Sirius feel so bad. She wanted to cheer him up and give him something to laugh about, anything to see a cheery grin on his face and that signature glint in his eyes the next time she saw him.

"Hey, Remus?"

"Hm?"

"I have an idea."


	26. Chapter 26

"You want to do _what?"_ Lily asked, her face contorted in a mix of shock and disbelief.

James loudly sushed her, glancing around like they might get caught. "Don't be so loud! Do you want us to get in trouble?"

The redhead was practically steaming from the ears by now. "Do you realise how much trouble we'd be in if we actually went through with you stupid plan?!"

"Actually it was all (Name)'s idea," He retorted, rolling his eyes. "Why do you always assume it's me?"

"Because you're the only one stupid enough to come up with these stupid ideas!"

_Merlin, they're already bickering like a married couple._

"Actually, it _was_ my idea." (Name) admitted with a deadpanned sniff. These frequent arguments _had_ to havebecome blasé to everyone by now, she thought.

"Thank you!" James carped in an exasperated tone, throwing his arms into the air.

There was a moment of silence as Lily regained her composure– she'd been obviously taken aback by the (h/c) haired witch's admission, tucking a fiery strand of hair behind her ear with an embarassed cough as she faced the pureblood. It only took less than a second however for the redhead to turn onto (Name), disbelief clear in her eyes.

 _"You?_ I expect this from James," –an undignified _"hey!"_ came from the latter– "or Sirius, but _you?_ Why would you suggest such a thing?"

The girl didn't know what to say in her defence. She'd known from the get-go that Lily wouldn't approve of her idea but she hadn't expected her to be so harsh.

"I've never been to London..?" Was kind of a fruitless answer, but it was also the honest truth. She knew Sirius liked muggle things, and what could be more muggle-y than exploring the muggle-side of London?

"You've never been to London?" An incredulous voice rang out from behind (Name).

The latter froze, colour draining from her face when she recognised that smoky voice. Had he overheard all their plans? If so would they all fall through?

But miraculously, James chimed in to save the day and (Name) found herself impressed by how easily the words came to him. It was almost like lying was second nature to the pureblood. "Can you believe it? We were talking about places we've always wanted to go. I was like, "oh maybe Norway" and she comes out here talking about going to London, it's insane!"

As Peter joined in, the halfblooded witch felt a pinch of alarm when she heard how nervous he sounded. It was obvious he wasn't as skilled as James. "Y–yeah! I– I would've said Paris or something like that."

Luckily Sirius seemed to fall for it. He looped an arm around (Name), the smell of him wafting around her and envelopping her into a sense of comfort as he did. He was fresh out of the shower, damp wavy hair tickling her face as it brushed against her skin. He smelled of rosewood rather than the usual cigarette, and his breath was fresh and minty when he spoke.

"Well then maybe we should invite her to come along this summer." He chuckled, affectionately pulling her closer into his side. There was a glint in his eyes.

"Sounds like fun." She smiled, her eyes softening. She was glad to see that happiness reflected in his eyes. This was exactly what she wanted.

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

"So I've thought about what you said," Lily started, her cheeks faintly dusted with a rosy colour. "And I don't think it might be such a bad idea after all."

"You... You changed your mind?" (Name) asked incredulously, her eyes wide as she searched the redhead's gaze like she was trying to decipher what could be the cause of her sudden change of mind.

But the muggleborn averted her eyes with a simple hum, and (Name) knew the latter enough by now to know that she was too stubborn to admit that she'd backtrack on her opinions, let alone say why. So the (h/c) haired witch didn't press the matter– though, she _did_ have a feeling that James was behind this– it seemed like he'd really been on Lily's good graces as of lately. Perhaps his plan to get her to help him with transfiguration had really paid off after all.

The redhead hastily cleared her throat, shaking off her feelings of embarrassment. "Anyways. I have to go speak to Professor Slughorn, want to tag along?"

"Sure."

(Name) had never understood how Lily could stand the man as much as she did. In her eyes, he seemed superficial. Maybe it was because he seemed more interested in students with promising attributes and tended to disregard the ones who weren't as skilled. Lily excelled in all her classes, of course she'd been recruited into the Slug Club.

The dungeons were cold when the two Gryffindors arrived. (Name) couldn't help but shiver as the cold seeped through her robes. She crossed her arms over her chest with a teeth-chattering sigh.

"Wait here, I'll be right back."

The halfblood nodded as Lily disappeared into the potions classroom, and leaned back against the wall to wait. Big mistake– the wall was ice-cold and only made her more cold. She wished she could be with Sirius right now, snuggled up into his arms, soaking up his body warmth...

Before she'd even had a chance to realise what she was thinking about, (Name) was drawn out of her thoughts when she heard footsteps approaching the corner. She could hear an arrogant, feminine voice– one she knew very well, laughing along to something she hadn't picked up. The hair on the back of her neck rose as the daunting reality caught up to her.

_"If you want to beat me, Selwyn, then do it earnestly. The courtyard, after Christmas break. You and me, we'll duel."_

_"Fine, have it your way, (Last Name). Either way, you'll be the one running away with your tail between your legs when I beat you in front of everyone."_

She could still hear Hollis' laugh ringing in the back of her head. _What had she been thinking?!_ Of course she wanted to give that bitch a taste of her own medicine, but she had to face the truth– _she wasn't prepared!_ She could've– _no,_ she _should have_ been spending her break preparing for the duel, but with Sirius occupying her mind, she had entirely forgotten about it.

Without thinking, the Gryffindor slipped inside the potions classroom, her heart beating wildly– not unlike that of a gazelle's trying to outrun a cheetah– as she managed to escape an encounter with the Slytherins, a split second away from being seen.

She shut her eyes, trying to slow her breathing in an attempt to calm her heartbeat, only opening them again once she didn't feel as tense. She might've gotten away this time but she knew she wouldn't be able to run away forever– and she didn't want to, she said she'd duel Hollis, and she intended to do so...

She just had to find someone who could help her get ready and teach her to duel– _and she knew exactly who could help._ She really didn't like the idea of asking this person for help, especially after their last encounter, but she didn't have much of a choice now.


	27. Chapter 27

When Lily and Professor Slughorn exited his office, they were both surprised to find (Name) inside the classroom.

"Ah sorry, can I help you with anything?" The man started, automatically assuming she was there to consult him about potions or something of the sort.

(Name) suppressed the urge to scoff as she listened to his disingenuous and sophomaniacal speech. It all sounded rehearsed to the witch– he was playing the role that he was meant to play, only... it was like he couldn't act for shit.

"Oh no, we came together. She's just waiting for me." Lily explained on behalf of the other girl, grabbing the latter by the arm as she headed for the exit.

The professor hummed, and lifted an arm for a lazy wave. "Good bye then! Stop by whenever you need!"

"CoMe By WhEnEvEr YoU nEeD." (Name) mimicked him under her breath.

Her redheaded friend let out a sigh. "What's your problem with Professor Slughorn?"

"He's a jerk– never once has he helped me out when I was stuck on something."

"Have you _asked_ for help?"

"Yes!" The (h/c) haired girl exasperatedly shouted. "Are you saying I'm _not?"_

Lily flinched at the sudden outburst of frustration, though her eyes softened. "Calm down, I don't mean to accuse you, it's just... do you remember that spell you just couldn't get cast properly last year? The one we were taught in Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

(Name) hummed nonchalantly. "What about it?"

"You didn't ask anyone for help until the day before the O.W.Ls."

As much as the halfblood wanted to deny she'd ever do something like that, she knew she'd never be able to get away with it. There were plenty witnesses who could confirm this account.

"Well... I mean yeah... but– I _did_ ask this time– and so have many other students, so it's not just me!"

Lily seemed speechless. It wasn't really her fault that she hadn't noticed though, (Name) had come to reason. Professor Slughorn had always given her the light of day.

Finally the muggleborn sighed. "I guess you're right. I've noticed it too but... I didn't think it was..." She trailed off for a second. "He does it when a student comes asking questions while we're talking but I just assumed he didn't like being interrupted in the middle of a conversation– which I agree with but... I wonder why Professor Dumbledore would engage a professor like that. Surely he's aware, right?"

(Name) shrugged. Her attention had been drawn out when she noticed a familiar shape turning around the corner at the far end of the hall and disappearing out of sight. "Who knows what that man thinks." She half heatedly replied. "Hey listen, I've got to uh.. I've got to go but I'll meet you in the great hall for dinner later, okay?"

Without so much as waiting for a response, the (h/c) haired witch dashed off, leaving her baffled friend to wonder where on earth she was running off to.

When (Name) turned the corner she'd seen the figure disappear around, she was stumped to find no one in sight, and two corridors leading in opposing directions. The halfblooded witch clenched her teeth in dismay as she stared down both corridors in turn, wondering which one was the right one.

 _"Are you following me?"_ A dull-toned voice suddenly accused from behind her.

She whipped around, finding herself face to face with a greasy haired boy who was staring at her through narrowed eyes.

"No!– Well not really, actually I was looking for you."

Perplexed, the wizard blinked, once, then twice, any perceived hostility vanishing from his eyes. "Why?"

"I need your help, Snape."

Severus blinked again. "Why– with what?"

"I need you to teach me how to fight."

"Fight? Is this about the duel? The one with Hollis? If so just quit. It's not worth it." He replied glumly, pushing past the witch.

(Name) called out to the wizard as he started to head down one of the corridors, refusing to let him walk away. "What?! No! _You_ were the one who told me to fight back!" She reminded him indignantly.

"Yes– when it's a fight you can _win!"_ Severus snapped back, his face contorted in an amount of anger that the girl had never seen before.

"You think I can't win?! You have _no_ idea what I can do!"

The jet haired wizard sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose irritatedly. "You should save yourself the embarrassment, should you lose."

That's when (Name) realized he was speaking from experience. "Look. I know you've tried fighting back, and I know it didn't go well for you– but that's got nothing to do with me. Just because you lost doesn't mean I will!"

For a moment there was no response from the boy and the girl worried she'd lost any chance she had of convincing him with that remark. But to her surprise, he eventually sighed and dipped his head. "I guess you're right."

"Fantastic! When do we start?"


	28. Chapter 28

A week had passed since (Name), James, Remus, Peter and Lily had come up with a plan to cheer up Sirius. They were all set and ready to go now, and the (h/c) haired halfblood couldn't wait. Tomorrow they'd be sneaking out of the castle to visit London.

Anxiety lurked in the pit of her stomach, beneath the initial excitement that the girl felt– this was going to be her first time properly visiting London. Of course she'd seen a bit of the city with her family, but her mother always insisted that they not stay any longer than necessary. The woman would be furious if she knew what the teens were planning to do. No doubt she'd come all the way to Hogwarts just to give her daughter an earful, no matter how humiliating it'd be.

(Name) turned her head as she heard footsteps echoing from the staircase to the boys' dormitories. As it happened so frequently, the witch had expected Remus to appear. But instead, it was Sirius– in a pair of baggy ripped jeans and an over sized white shirt covered in old paint splotches. His hair was tousled and the bags under his eyes were evident.

"Sirius?"

"(Name)? You're still up?" The wizard asked, clearly shocked. He hadn't been expecting anyone to be up. His eyes darted to the clock on the wall, and (Name) followed suite; it was four in the morning.

The witch hummed, her eyes shifting over to the fireplace. "I like to stay up and watch the fire."

"This late?"

"Why not?"

"Fair enough, I guess." Sirius shrugged, sitting down beside her. He sighed, leaning back into the sofa. "Hey, listen... I know I've been avoiding you this past week and—"

The halfblood witch straightened up and turned to fix Sirius with an unblinking stare. "You've been avoiding me?" She hadn't even noticed. She must have been so busy trying to avoid Hollis that she hadn't noticed the wizard avoiding her.

Things suddenly got uncomfortably awkward as Sirius began to stutter. Clearly he'd planned out what to say and everything, only to be entirely derailed. It was pitiful seeing him like this and she thought it'd be best if she did something to help him out. "Okay well... why were you avoiding me?" She asked, hoping the ledge she was extending to him would help him compose his thoughts.

"Oh! Uh... well that's what I wanted to talk about– I'm sorry I kept you waiting that day in the greenhouse."

"It's okay, I've completely forgiven you." (Name) reassured the boy.

"You have?"

Not really. She thought. She'd only let it go because she's found out he'd been having a tough time.

"Yeah. I'll be honest... Remus said that you've been having a rough time... so, I guess I can understand that at the very least. And, this might be useless but, if you ever need anyone to talk to, Sirius, I'll be here."

"No! Actually, that means a lot. Especially coming from you." Sirius assured the witch, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "But hey, you don't need to worry about me, it's only some family drama."

(Name)'s brows furrowed as she watched him trace his knuckles with his thumb, his eyes glued to his hands. It didn't seem like "just some family drama."

"Family drama?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she wished they hadn't... It was none of her business. The (h/c) haired girl wanted to slap herself in the face for asking such an insensitive question.

"Yeah I..." Sirius sighed. "It's complicated."

(Name) smiled sympathetically. "If that's the case, then if you ever feel like talking it over a butterbeer then I'd be glad to listen." She offered, getting up.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Sirius smiled.

Before he got up as well, the halfblood brushed his jet black hair aside and kissed his forehead. "Goodnight, Sirius. Sleep well."

The pureblood seemed frozen for a moment but he smiled back. Not that goofy grin or sly smirk, but a genuine soft, contented smile. He got up and pulled the girl into a loose hug, tilting her head up with a finger under her chin to give her a peck on the lips.

"Goodnight, Sweetheart."

(Name) was left with a fluttering heartbeat as she made her way back up the steps to her dormitory and back to bed. Any anger she had towards him seemed irrelevant now. Of course he cared for her and loved her! Yet... part of her couldn't help but be afraid she was nothing more than one of Sirius' brief flings. She hoped, deep down, that she'd be different.


	29. Chapter 29

It had been a month since (Name) had consulted Severus for help with learning how to duel. She didn't know how she'd managed to stay out of Hollis' radar for so long but she certainly wasn't complaining.

"I think this should do for today." Severus concluded the lesson. "We'll meet again Saturday, same time."

 _Shit, Saturday's no good._ The witch realized, slightly panicked. She couldn't lie to Severus, but it wasn't like she could tell him the truth either– that she and the Marauders, along with Lily were going to go to London for the weekend– if he were to tell the professors... they'd be in _big_ trouble.

He must've noticed her fidgeting, because the halfblood raised a quizzical brow. "What's wrong with Saturday?" He grumbled.

"I uh, I already have plans." She replied vaguely with a nervous laugh. "Y'know, going to Hogsmeade... and stuff."

 _Shut up! Shut up! You're only making yourself seem even more suspicious!_ She scolded herself, hoping that by some stroke of luck, Severus would accept this poorly worded excuse. It seemed to work– the wizard shrugged with a sigh and picked up his books before turning to the witch.

"Well fine then, if you intend to lose this duel. Send me an owl whenever you're free."

"Will do!" (Name) nervously chuckled, ignoring the Slytherin's remark as she gathered her own books, following him out.

On her way back to the common room, the halfblood thought to stop by the library to see if Lily was there, since it was on her way, and she figured they could walk back together– but it turned out she wasn't alone. She saw her as she walked in, her back facing the door while conversing with James.

 _Maybe I shouldn't bother them._ She thought, leaving the redhead to her study date. That however, would turn out to be a fatal mistake.

As the doors closed behind her, (Name) bumped into someone else. Books clattered to the floor and when she turned to apologize, she found one of Hollis' lackeys picking up her scattered books.

"Well, well. It's been a while since I've seen _you_ around." Hollis' sneering loudly resonated through the hallway. "I thought we were supposed to duel after Christmas break. _Or are you too scared?"_ She taunted.

"No. I'm not." (Name) replied, putting up a brave facade. She knew this was it. Hollis would challenge her then and there, and there was no way the Gryffindor would ever hear the end of it if she backed down. "Actually I thought _you_ were the one who gave up, I thought you came to your senses and realized how much of an obnoxious rat you are, seems I was wrong, couldn't be that lucky, huh?"

Any sense of control Hollis held had completely vanished now. Hollis was taking out her wand and–

"Leave her alone, Selwyn."

(Name) spun around to find Sirius standing behind her, a scowl on his face. For a minute she felt relieved, but also felt ashamed he'd interjected. She didn't need, nor want to rely on anyone.

Hollis had backed down, her face twisted in a mix of embarrassment and anger. Clearly she must've had eyes for the pureblooded wizard, like she couldn't believe he'd seen her true colours. She and her goons left without a word, her jaw clenched in frustration.

"What was–"

"Why did you do that?!" (Name) angrily cut him off. "I could've delt with her by myself, i'm very capable of looking after myself, thank you very much!" But she knew that was a lie, and that deep down she was thankful that Sirius had scared Hollis away. If he hadn't, the exchange likely would've ended in a duel– one that she still wasn't ready for just yet.

The wizard rolled his eyes and let out a brisk sigh. "Yeah, yeah, that's all good, sweetheart, but will you tell me what in Merlin's name that duel was about?"

"That's none of your business." She huffed, her face turning red, partly from embarrassment, partly from anger. "But it _will_ happen and I will _win_. _"_

"Do you even _know_ how to duel?"

"Kind of." The witch mumbled.

_"Kind of?"_

"...I've been practicing."

"Well then... I have a feeling you might need all the help you can get, and I think we'd better help you."

(Name) felt a rush of excitement come over her. With Sirius helping her as well as Severus, she'd surely learn even faster!

"I still want to know what that duel is about though."

The halfblood sighed. "I challenged her." She mumbled, casting her gaze to the floor.

"Why?"

"Because I'm sick of being treated like trash!" She hopelessly barked, her hands balling into fists. She had thought Sirius was done scolding her, was he going to start again?! But he only blinked sympathetically, a small smile on his face.

"I get that."

(Name)'d been ready to further defend and justify herself but she was surprised when Sirius only sympathized with her. "How?" She frustratedly asked. "How could you get it? Everyone _loves_ you."

The wizard's eyes hardened. "Yes of course, cause being loved by everyone makes your life easy."

The witch wondered what the hell that could possibly mean, but he didn't clarify. "Come on, let's go." He said, jerking his head towards the hallway.

Feeling somewhat defeated, she followed behind him without objection. _He doesn't get it,_ She thought bitterly. _He doesn't know what it's like to be shunned by all your peers, to be the black sheep of Hogwarts– everyone he loves him._

"Listen... I realized I never got around to telling you..."

(Name) lifted her head as Sirius glanced around timidly, like he didn't want to be overheard.

"That day, at the greenhouse–"

"You mean when you left me alone?" This wasn't meant to come out as an accusation but it was as if the words slipped out before she could stop them. "I told you I don't mind, I've already forgiven you, Sirius. I know you're struggling at the moment, and it's none of my business how or what you do to relieve all that stress, so I wont judge you– even if I could think of at least a dozen better things than shagging Cecile."

"What? No! I–" Sirius began to stumble over himself as he attempted to get over the initial shock of this brazen assumptions to clear up the matter. "I didn't– Cecile and I didn't– _LOOK!_ We didn't fuck alright?"

"Okay?" (Name) rose a brow. "So you snogged her?"

"No!– No! I mean she wanted to– but I told her no, and she just wouldn't leave me be so I was trying to escape her! And– look! There's nothing between us. Anyways... when I finally got back to the greenhouse you were–"

"Gone?"

"I– yeah."

_Well that wasn't completely unbelievable. Sirius did seem to have a habit of sticking his dick in crazy._

"You believe me don't you?" He asked, staring at her like a lost puppy. He'd even bent down to her height and grabbed her hands, pulling them up to his chest. It was a bit much, but adorable all the same.

"I do." She told him with a small smile. Her knees felt week and her heartbeat accelerated in her chest, like a train picking up speed after leaving the station.


	30. Chapter 30

On this frosty morning, (Name) woke up groggy and tired. She'd been up all night practicing her dueling spells with Severus. Of course she greatly appreciated the Slytherin's help, but the issue laid with how incredibly perceptive Lily was– sneaking out was hard when her friend could pick up on her unusual behavior. Just last week, she'd managed to play it off as a late night meeting with Sirius.

_"(Name)?" A faint voice had called out in the middle of the night._

_The halfblood froze as a cold wave washed over her. Had she been caught? "Yeah?"_

_"Where are you going?"_

_"I, uh– I, well I'm just going down to the common room I forgot... I suddenly remembered I forgot something... something important... out of the blue."_

_There was a brief silence. Lily seemed more awake now, and (Name) was growing nervous. How was she going to get away? Was she going to have to flake out on Severus? She'd feel bad if she wasted his time, and even worse, she doubted he'd agree to help her further if that were ever to happen._

_Finally the redhead broke the silence. "You're going to meet up with Sirius, aren't you?"_

_"Y-yeah!" She stuttered, partly relieved she'd found an excuse, and yet still nervous– she wasn't out of the woods just yet. Had she convinced Lily? She hoped her friend was still sleepy enough to buy it._

_But Lily only rolled back onto her side with a tired but conceding sigh. "Just don't stay up too late, we have a test early tomorrow..." She mumbled through a yawn._

Today was the day. Excitement and trepidation hung heavy over the girls' heads as they got ready for the day's excursion. The group had planned everything in detail, and they'd gone over everything to make sure nothing was amiss. The plan was to head to Hogsmeade with everyone else, and then they would apparate to London with the boys' help, as they were the only ones able to do so _(how they'd learned was beyond her.)_ But (Name) knew this fact made Lily anxious. She could see why it worried her; what if something went wrong? Yet (Name) felt perfectly safe putting her trust in the Marauders. She couldn't quite put her finger on why this was, but as she'd reassured Lily; the boys were skilled wizards and she had no doubt they knew what he was doing.

James' eyes lit up with excitement as he saw the girls coming down from their dormitories. "Are you ready?"

"We sure are."

"Where's Sirius?" (Name) asked, noticing he was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm right here, sweetheart." A deep voice spoke from behind her, arms looping around her waist.

The witch jumped and spun around, meeting a pair of tired stormy eyes. There were prominent dark circles under them, and his hair was tousled. This seemed so out of the ordinary for the heartthrob. Usually he put so much care into his appearance that it was a running joke among the Marauders– one that she'd occasionally heard– that he took more time to get ready than a girl did.

"Merlin's beard! Why do you look like that?" She exclaimed, instinctively smoothing out Sirius' hair.

He winced. "Look like what?"

"Sorry, it's nothing, you just... you look awfully tired." She fussed, her brows furrowing.

Even Remus and Lily exchanged concerned glances.

"I'm okay, I promise." He told her– with what should have been– a reassuring look.

(Name) wasn't sure she believed him, but she wasn't about to press any further if Sirius clearly didn't want to elaborate. Still, she kept an eye on the Pureblood over breakfast and as they departed for Hogsmeade.

It didn't take long for them to be left to their own devices. Students had began to split up in groups, all headed towards different directions, none the wiser as the girls and the Marauders snuck off somewhere quiet.

Tentatively, (Name) and Lily grabbed hold of Sirius and James' hands respectively, while also holding one anothers hands as well. Peter held Remus' hand, who completed the chain by grabbing Jame's free hand. and before they knew it, the group had apparated a few feet away from the Leaky Cauldron.

Given how abrupt it had all felt, (Name) had expected a multitude of muggles wandering about to have noticed them suddenly appearing out of thin air, but that didn't seem to be the case and no one so much as batted an eye.

The sky was a stormy shade of gray, and there was a very light drizzle in London today, which felt almost like a mist was falling upon them. Despite how bleak the weather was, (Name) couldn't help but squint when she gazed up at the sky. A few isolated rays still managed to pierce through the cloud and shine some light down on the city, reflected in the countless puddles lining the streets and pavements.

"Where to first?" Lily asked, clapping her hands enthusiastically. You'd have almost forgotten she'd originally been opposed to the idea.

(Name) gasped, a twinkle lighting in her eye as an idea sprung to mind. "Big Ben!"

"Big Ben?" Sirius asked, cocking an eyebrow as he watched her with an amused smirk.

"I've never seen it." (Name) replied with a shy shrug, her face burning up. _Had she been too excited?_

"Where else do you want to go?" He asked, his eyes softening as he watched her.

(Name) was about to reply when she was cut off by James, his face lit up with excitement. It was almost as if he'd just devised a great plan. "St. Paul's Cathedral!"

The halfblood was puzzled. "A cathedral?" She asked, glancing to Sirius for an explanation. What was so interesting about a cathedral?

"You can get a good view of London from the top." The wizard whispered so as to not interrupt James as he continued raving over the view. It sounded like a wonderful idea to (Name) and she was quick to agree with the cathedral idea. Peter on the other hand didn't seem nearly as convinced as she was but he didn't protest.

Remus mentioned the British Museum, something Lily also seemed interested in– besides the Little Venice Gardens that was, while James and Peter insisted on visiting the Borough Market.

"Do you have any muggle currency for that, though?" Remus asked, visibly confused. (Name) hadn't even thought of that until he'd mentioned it but something about the look on James' face told her that _he_ had.

"That's why we apparated here." He said, gesturing to the Leaky Cauldron.

That's when it dawned on them– _they would first make a stop at Gringotts._ A good idea, (Name) thought, she hadn't even thought that they'd need to buy some things while out and about.

The six students entered the Leaky Cauldron as casually as they could, trying not to draw too much attention to themselves. Hopefully, no one would notice they were students and question what they were doing here. With a quick and polite greeting to the barman, they managed to slip out into the small courtyard, where Sirius tapped on the bricks with his wand to open the passageway to Diagon Alley.

"So tell me why we couldn't just apparate straight in Diagon Alley to begin with?" Lily asked, giving James a confused look.

"Well that would draw attention wouldn't it? I thought it safer to just walk in inconspicuously."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense."

As quickly as they could– while trying to restrain the excitement bubbling up inside them– they made their way to Gringotts, withdrew some more money from their vaults, before asking– albeit a little rudely (in the eyes of the working goblins anyways) in the midst of their excitement– the goblin at the desk to exchange it for muggle currency. Once that was all sorted and done, any sense of caution was thrown out of the window and the group instantly apparated straight away to the Borough Market.

It didn't take long however for their group to be split up into smaller groups, all headed in different directions. James and Lily had stuck together, as had Sirius and (Name), leaving Remus with Peter.

The witch felt as if she were on a date. Sirius'd even scooped up her hand in his, interlocking his fingers with hers. She didn't mind, his hand kept hers warm in the cold London rain. They strolled through the market with leisure, enjoying the bustle and all the different scents wafting in the air. There was a new scent that had just reached her though, and it made her mouth water– fresh scones.

"Sirius, look!" She pointed, dragging him over to one of the stalls before he could even react. He seemed amused though as he watched her exchange money for some scones.

She didn't hesitate to eat one then and there, (she'd offered one to Sirius too) far too enticed by the smell to resist. That however, led her to a thirst that needed quenching, and so the pair set off to look for any vendors that could offer drinks.

Instead, they came across a lovely little tea shop with a homely feel to it. They'd ventured outside of the Borough Market but not too far that they wouldn't be found if the others came looking for them. They settled down at the furthest table despite the emptiness of the shop, opting for a little privacy in case anyone did come in.

"What kind of tea would you like?" Asked a woman, who wore a light blue dress with white stripes. She held a notepad in one hand, and a kind smile on her face as she patiently waited for their answers.

"Ah, uhm, what would you recommend?" (Name) asked nervously. She hadn't even noticed the menus laid out on the table.

"Well, our most popular flavour is lemon balm tea at the moment!"

"I'll have that, thank you."

"Mhm! And for you?" She asked, turning her attention to Sirius.

"Do you have english breakfast tea?"

"Yes we do! I'll be back with your tea in a bit." The girl told them with a toothy grin before going right back behind the counter.

As they sat in silence, the realization that she was alone with Sirius had caught up to (Name). Her eyes darted to the window in an attempt to avoid meeting the wizard's gaze, and her cheeks flushed lightly. Still she couldn't help but steal a glance at him.

"Flustered again are you?" He teased, though his eyes were soft. "Just relax, I don't bite." He added, this time with a smirk as he reached out to hold her hands in his.

"I know. I've just never been on a date before." She quietly admitted.

Sirius blinked incredulously, though the ghost of the smirk he was attempting to restrain was still visible on his lips. "Oh, we're on a date, are we?"

If even possible, (Name)'s face had burst into the brightest shade of scarlet by now. _Merlin, had she really just implied they were on a date despite never explicitly calling it such?_ Unable to remain so serious, Sirius let out a soft laugh and squeezed her hands lightly. They were interrupted for a second as the lady returned with their tea, but the moment she'd left their table again, he leaned forward and gave her a genuine smile. "It's a date then."

(Name) awkwardly stammered. Her face was as red as a tomato, and she was a babbling mess as she tried to organize her thoughts so she could say what was weighing on her mind. "Uh, well, about that..?"

Sirius hummed lightly, encouraging her to go on. He looked so gentle, and so comforting, but deep down in those stormy eyes she could detect worry.

"What are we?" She blurted out, utterly embarrassed.

"Sorry?"

"I mean, I like you– and you, uh, like me too... right? So, are we... an item?"

Sirius sputtered speechlessly. He looked at her like she'd just told him something incomprehensible. His eyes were as wide as saucers, and he was gaping like a fish. As she sat there patiently waiting for a response, (Name) began to doubt herself– like she'd entirely misread their dynamic. _Did he not like her?_

"I don't mean to be pushy... But I'm still waiting for an answer." She reminded him gently, trying to keep worry from seeping into her tone or her expression.

Sirius gulped nervously, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat as he met her gaze. His face was a violent shade of red– the most flustered (Name) had ever seen him. _But he still didn't reply._


	31. Chapter 31

Several seconds passed before Sirius finally seemed to gather his wits. (Name) chewed on her bottom lip nervously as she watched him. She was becoming impatient, and the daunting thoughts she kept at bay were beginning to weasel their way in.

"...Sirius?" Her voice was undeniably shaky this time.

"I'm sorry–" He began, smacking his face as though he was trying to wake himself. "I– I just didn't expect you to say something like that." He blurted out.

(Name) felt her anxiety ease a bit. She cocked her head like a confused puppy, trying to meet his eyes with her own, a piercing curiosity shining through. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Isn't it unusual for a girl to ask out a guy?" He said, having somewhat gone back to his teasing ways.

"Maybe, but it doesn't take a genius to read the room." (Name) shrugged, attempting to mask her dismay. "I like you, Sirius, and it was quite clear to me– _or I thought it was–_ that you liked me too. I just figured–"

"No!" Sirius exclaimed, almost a little to loudly. He jumped in his seat, his tea spilling all over the table. He looked absolutely distraught. "That's not it! I do! I like you a lot, (Name) (Last Name)."

(Name) felt her heart flutter in her rib cage. Her eyes widened at the words and she felt her eyes fill to the brim with tears. It wasn't that she was sad– no, she was just _so_ relieved!

"Oh, Merlin..." She croaked out a laugh, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "You scared me."

Sirius gave her an awkward, but apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I've completely ruined the mood now haven't I?"

(Name) was about to reassure him, tell him it wasn't a big deal, but he shushed her before she could get a word in. "No, no. Wait, I'm talking."

The halfblood blinked up at Sirius dumbly.

"(Name), my dear, I was wondering if you'd like to be my girl." He asked, resting his chin in the palm of his hand as he watched her with a gleam in his eyes. The corners of his lips had tugged upwards into a roguish smile as (Name) was rendered speechless.

She knew what he had done and why– _the attractive bastard would never allow himself to be asked out by a **girl** would he? _Well not on her watch, she'd have to tease him a little first before she'd allow him to get that satisfaction.

And tease him she did. "What's the matter?" She asked, almost purring with amusement. "Can't a girl ask you to be her boyfriend for a change?"

"N-no, that's not it–" Sirius started, shaking his head. His face was reddening considerably, and he averted his gaze in preference of staring at his nearly empty _(spilled)_ cup, as if he was suddenly interested in tasseomancy, and trying to read his tea leaves. "I was just teasing you."

"If that's what you want to believe." (Name) hummed, winking over the rim of her cup as she took her last remaining sip of tea.

Sirius didn't reply. He only abruptly stood up, leaving the amount of money due on the table, along with a generous tip– presumably to apologize for the mess (although he had cleaned it up as best he could with the napkins available to them.)

"Whatever– but anyways, to answer your question, I'd be delighted for you to be my girlfriend." He told her, flashing her a grin along with a wink.

"So you _do_ have a problem with a woman taking the lead!" (Name) teasingly accused him. "Don't worry, it doesn't make you any less of a man." She added, with a tone far more reassuring than that which she had started off with– though she still couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"I know." Sirius huffed, obviously flustered. It was as if he hadn't expected her to see straight through him.

Even though the couple remained silent after their "argument"– as if you could call it that– it was a comfortable silence, and (Name) felt at ease as they resumed their stroll through the market, holding hands as they did before.

"(Name)!" – "Sirius!"

Both the wizard, and the witch turned their attention to the new comers. Lily and James were jogging towards them, the latter's mouth stuffed with, well– _some kind of food._ They were followed shortly by Remus and Peter– who held a battered sausage in one hand, his mouth _also_ stuffed with food.

"Hey, look!" James excitedly shouted, prodding Lily's side with a gentle elbow. "They're holding hands!"

Lily let out a gasp as she hurried over to her friend's side, her eyes wide and glittering with excitement. "Whenever did _this_ happen?!" She asked, a teasing smirk plastered on her face.

Peter and Remus were curiously peering at the new couple from behind James and Lily.

Although aware a blush was creeping it's way onto her face, (Name) cleared her throat and went on to act like nothing was out of the ordinary. "Smirking really isn't your style, _Lilypad."_ She replied, utilizing James' pet name to tease her right back.

"Oh, c'mon, (Name)! Don't be like that."

Sirius had apparently now decided to take lead. He wrapped an arm around his girlfriend and pulled her into his side with a broad grin. "Just earlier."

James let out a cheerful whoop. "Congratulations, Padfoot, you finally got the girl!" Swooping in with a pat on the back, he grabbed Sirius' shoulder, veering him away as though he wanted a word in private.

Lily fell into step with (Name), bumping shoulders with a friendly grin. "Don't think you're getting away from me, (Last Name)!" More eagerly, she went on to add; "Promise me you'll tell me everything later!"

"Of course." (Name) assured her with a mischievous grin. "But only if you tell me what's going on between you and James."

Lily pouted indignantly. _"N_ _othing_ in the world could ever happen between me and Potter."

 _"That's not what Sirius and I saw that one night, in the common room."_ The halfblood wanted to point out. But she instead opted to keep her mouth shut. "Mm."

"I swear!"

"Okay, okay! But just so you know, it'd be great if you _were_ interested in him." (Name) said nonchalantly, trying to gauge Lily's reaction.

The redhead seemed to perk up at this. "Why's that?"

"Well dating a Marauder would be less daunting if my best friend was dating one as well." She teased.

"You are so unbelievable." Lily laughed. "But you _do_ make a solid point!"

Some distance behind the girls, the remaining Marauders followed quietly.


	32. Chapter 32

The rest of the day had flown by so quickly (Name) could hardly believe it. They'd gone from visiting the Borough Market, to Big Ben– which she had been looking forward to the most– to the British Museum and last but not least, the Little Venice Gardens.

As they reached St. Paul's Cathedral, the halfblooded witch was left in awe. There was something about it that just took her breath away.

"We're going up to the roof?" (Name) asked, her eyes wide with wonder as James nodded eagerly.

In the end, Peter chickened out and decided to stay at ground level. Not wanting to leave him all alone, Remus had decided to stay with him ( _Lily had been the first to graciously make the offer, but Remus had insisted on the behalf of James before the latter could start ranting about how he was having none of it.)_ It was too bad, (Name) thought as they climbed up to the rooftop; the view was absolutely outstanding, and she wished her friends could see it as well.

The four split up into pairs once at the top, leaving the new couple by themselves while Lily and James headed towards another corner of the roof, all the while teasing them.

The couple made small talk for a while, before falling onto the topic of their plans for the summer.

"I'll just be staying home and enduring two months of solitude." (Name) jokingly said. "I don't get to go out much, my parents are always busy with work."

"Don't you go visit your friends during the summer?"

"No. I mean sometimes I get lucky, but my mum just wants me to study all summer break. She says I'll forget everything by the time I go back to Hogwarts if I don't keep my mind sharp."

Sirius let out a chortle at her words, but quickly regretted it when (Name) shot him a look. "Sorry I don't mean to laugh but it's just– trust me I'd take your family over mine."

The girl frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"Well it's... it's complicated." Sirius started, a sudden crestfallen look on his face. "My family is... I guess you could say they're very extreme when it comes to blood purity– well I guess there's no way to put it lightly; they're death eaters."

"I'm sorry, I– I didn't know..."

Sirius shrugged with a resolute sigh. "Whatever. We have nothing in common, and we certainly don't see eye to eye on the matter." His frustration was evident and (Name) struggled to find the words to reassure him. "I'm a disappointment, I always have been. I know they're going to kick me out soon." 

"What are you going to do?" She tentatively asked, hoping he wouldn't be left to roam the streets.

"The Potters have always been so accommodating. They've let me spend holidays with them but– I can't ask that much of them." Tears brimmed in the boy's eyes. It was obvious he was fighting himself, trying so hard not to show any signs of weakness.

"Sirius... you've been forced to grow up faster than most us, haven't you?" He nodded meekly. "But you forget you're still a kid."

Sirius raised his head, his wide, clouded eyes meeting her (e/c) ones– that, for a moment, almost seemed wise beyond their age.

"If the Potters are offering you a roof over your head, then take it– it's not your time to worry about grown up things, so let the adults take care of you for once, let them show you what a loving family is." She was almost pleading with him.

Sirius was taken aback by this sudden wisdom. His brows furrowed in thought as (Name) watched him with worried eyes. Then he nodded slowly, sniffling. "I'll talk to James about it."

(Name) smiled. She grabbed his hands in hers, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "Glad to hear it."

Above them, the sky was beginning to turn pink as the sun began to announce it's departure. "We should probably head back soon, huh?"

As they made their way towards James and Lily, Sirius let out a soft gasp and nudged (Name). She followed his gaze, finding the two in the middle of a passionate kiss.

"I knew it!" She beamed quietly, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Lily could try to persuade everyone that there was nothing– and that there _never would be_ something between her and the quidditch chaser all she wanted, but the truth was right in front of them now– there was definitely a budding romance between the two– and (Name) was _absolutely_ going to tease her about it for the rest of their lives.


	33. Chapter 33

The end of the school year was quickly approaching and there was only a month left before the summer holidays were here. Thanks to Sirius and his friends, (Name) had been able to steer clear from Hollis until she was ready to duel. She didn't know how they had gained all this knowledge pertaining to Hogwarts' secret passages, but she was grateful nevertheless.

"Hurry up, (Name)! I'd like to shower today, not tomorrow." Marlene loudly complained, pounding on the door from the other side of the bathroom.

"Well maybe if you woke up earlier you'd have time." The halfblood remarked with irritation as she applied a coat of lip balm, her eyes fixated on her reflection.

"Oh calm down, would you, Marlene? She'll be out in a second, besides, we don't have classes today." Lily butted in, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Don't you find it kinda strange though? (Name)'s never been the type to doll herself up before." Alice teasingly quipped in. Though she couldn't see her dormmate, (Name) could practically see the smug grin on her face as she giggled.

It was true though, she'd never been one to focus on the little details when it came to her appearance– much less the type to wear makeup. Yet now, she often found herself fretting over the wrinkles in her skirt, or the knots in her hair. As for the lip balm, well... that happened to be something else entirely.

This sounded understandably, and absolutely absurd but in truth, she'd been snogging Sirius so much she had run into an... unusual problem– dry, cracked lips.

She felt so embarrassed at the thought of anyone knowing about her pastimes involving Sirius that she didn't tell anyone. Instead, she had opted to let her friends believe she'd developed a new interest in makeup. Although, they probably knew anyways, what with Sirius' constant bragging and all.

"Look at you!" Alice cooed when she finally left the bathroom.

(Name) was wearing a floral summer dress, with these sandy, caramel coloured heels Alice had been so kind as to lend her. Her hair had been loosely curled, something she didn't do too often (it was usually something her mom would do to style her daughter before an event.) And although this was her first time using this spell, she didn't look too bad if she did say so herself! And to top it all off, she'd also applied a fruity lipgloss to change things up a bit, though she admittedly wasn't sure if Sirius would like it or not.

"Oh, (Name), you look marvelous!" Lily exclaimed, her eyes glittering with happiness– something she'd seemed to have much more of since she and James had gotten together. (She hadn't forgotten about the promise she'd made to herself back in London, and had since been relentlessly teasing her best friend about James at any chance she got– and although she'd been annoyed at first, Lily'd come to accept that this was just payback for all of her teasing. Not that she had relented in any case, if anything the teasing had just become correlative.)

Even the grumpy Marlene was in awe. She stared at her dormmate with a soft smile. "You're going to blow his breath away, Hun."

"Really? You don't think it's too much?"

"Not at all!" Alice assured (Name), before shooing her out the dorm room. "Now off you go! Wouldn't want to keep your date waiting!"

Kicked out, with nowhere else to go and with a date starting in less than five minutes, the witch had no choice but to make her way down to the common room where Sirius was waiting for her. It was just as Marlene had predicted; his eyes lit up the moment they laid on her, and he let out a flabbergasted sigh.

"You're beautiful." He breathed as she hugged him in greeting.

"Thank you, you don't look too bad yourself." (Name) replied in earnest, a blush rising to her cheeks. "Uhm, shall we?"

"Yes, o‐of course!" Though they'd been together for a while now, she still found it unusual to see this dorky wizard act like a gentleman. Most unusually though, was this bashful side she could occasionally coax out of him, where he would easily get embarrassed, or trip all over himself when he was around her.

Together, the couple headed out to the lake and sat down by a secluded spot near the shore. The area was perfect for a date; there was no one else in the vicinity, and a large willow tree offered them more than enough privacy from any would-be spies.

"How did you find this spot?"

Sirius smiled at (Name) and gave her a lighthearted shrug. "You'd be surprised how many things you can find by not turning a blind eye to your surroundings."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" She indignantly squawked.

Sirius stared at her with a dumbfounded look. "That wasn't meant to be a jab, I'm serious." He told her. "Listen, technically I shouldn't be telling you this but there's a map–"

"A... map?"

"Yes. James, Remus, Peter, and I– we made it– we made this map of Hogwarts, and it shows you where everyone is. It also has all the secret passageways."

There was a moment of silence as Sirius stared at (Name) intently, as though willing her to understand. Instead though, she'd burst out laughing like he had told her the funniest joke she'd ever heard in her life.

His brows furrowed. "I'm serious!"

"Okay, okay–" (Name) babbled as she calmed down. "So this map, then, how exactly would you go about making a map that can tell you where a thousand or so people are?"

It was obvious she was still skeptical, and Sirius was growing impatient. "With a lot, and I mean a lot, of spells– look, it's complicated alright? But you have to promise me you won't tell anyone."

"Uh-huh," (Name) nodded slowly, pretending to throw her hands up in surrender. "I, (Name) (Last Name), promise not to tell a soul of this map you speak of."

The pureblood heaved a frustrated sigh. "What if I showed it to you– would you believe me then?"

The girl stared at him incredulously. She was curious now– did it really exist after all? Why else would he offer to show her the map?

"Yes, I suppose, I would."

"Alright." Sirius briskly stood up, extending a hand to help (Name) get up. As soon as she was on her feet again, he started off towards the castle.

"Hey wait, hold on, wait for me!"


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning: mentions of sex and regret. If this is a trigger for you then feel free to skip this chapter. (Regret begins after the timeskip (Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ) if you want to read the map part.)

As soon as they were back in the Gryffindor tower, Sirius led (Name) to his dormitory. She followed him, aware of the stares she got from the students sat in the common room. No doubt they were getting the wrong idea, the witch thought. _Nothing new there_.

The Marauders' dormitory was surprisingly cleaner than she had expected. Apart from a few clothes strewn about the room, everything else was clean. Unless the boys weren't as messy as she pictured them to be, the house elves must've cleaned earlier.

"It should be around here somewhere..." She heard Sirius mumble to himself. He was searching through the drawers and night tables (neverminding invading the privacy of his friends,) until he finally came to a stop, pulling out a piece of parchment. "I'd started to worry someone else might've grabbed it."

(Name) rose a brow as he beckoned her over. As far as she could see, there was nothing on the parchment– until the wizard declared; "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Only then did the ink begin to appear, slowly revealing the cover of a map.

"Look." Sirius nudged her as he opened the map. She could see every hallway, every classroom, all neatly mapped out in detail. But what she found the most astounding though, were the dozen labels floating across the map, each with their own name.

"Are those..."

"Every student, yes. You can see where everyone is and where they're headed."

"How can you find someone in all of this?" (Name) asked, gesturing to all the names. "Especially when they're always moving about."

"It can take some time..." He sheepishly admitted. "But if you know where they usually hang around it's not too difficult."

"Can I have a look?"

Sirius handed her the map. She flipped through the pages, searching for a specific name. "Ah-hah!" She pointed down the courtyard where two names stood out to them. "Look at that, James and Lily, together!"

Sirius hummed as he watched her. His eyes were soft and happy, and when she looked up to meet his gaze, (Name) felt her heart skip a beat. Before she knew it, her lips had collided with his, and the map was completely forgotten. Things began to escalate.

Ꮚ`ꈊ´Ꮚ

As she laid in his bed next to him, hidden under the bed sheets, (Name) found herself observing Sirius while he laid next to her. He wasn't asleep, but he did look like it, with his eyes shut. From this close, and this still, she could see every little detail in his face that she hadn't noticed before; like the light freckles over his nose and his cheeks, the light stubble in the process of regrowing, but most curiously, the small and barely noticeable scars on his face. She was especially drawn to the most notable one, maybe a few centimeters long, splitting through his eyebrow. She wondered what the story behind it was.

As her eyes drifted down to his bare chest, the witch began to blush as she recollected the events of the past hour. Her thoughts swirled wildly, in a mix of satisfaction and worry. On one hand, she was happy to have had her first time, especially with a guy she felt so strongly about, but on the other hand she felt like this had happened way too soon for comfort. Her worries began to multiply. What if Sirius left her after this? What if she really was just another girl? She felt sick to her stomach thinking about being tossed aside and humiliated. Her eyes started to burn and she suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe.

Sirius had opened his eyes now, and he was looking at her with a concerned expression. "(Name)? Hey, are you alright? What's wrong?" He asked, propping himself up on an elbow.

The halfblood refused to meet his gaze but she nodded anyways. "I'm okay."

"Look at me." She refused. "Look at me, I need to know what's wrong, darling."

(Name) burst into tears as she began to explain her concerns. "I just feel like this happened way sooner than it should have."

Sirius sat up, and pulled her into his lap to hold her close but she weakly pushed him away. "Please don't, I need space right now. I'm not mad or anything I just..."

"Feel confused?" (Name) nodded meekly.

"It's okay, I get that." Sirius told her, his eyes as kind as they could be. "Listen, take as much time alone as you need right now and then come find me when you feel better, alright? But I just want you to know that I care about you. We don't have to do anything you don't feel comfortable doing."

Tears welled up in the witch's eyes. She'd expected Sirius to take this the wrong way but he'd surprised her by being the supportive boyfriend she needed right now. She nodded, wiping tears out of her eyes.

"Please don't tell–"

"Anyone? I won't." Sirius smiled gently.

"Thanks. I'll get going." As she got out of bed and started getting dressed, Sirius turned his gaze away.

"Let me know if you need anything." He told her before she left.

As soon as she was back in her dorm, the first thing (Name) did was take a shower. Then she put on her pajamas and snuggled in bed with Agnes on her lap and a good book to distract herself until dinner time.

Lily came barging in a little later, a huge grin on her face. She plopped down next to her friend and let out a dreamy sigh.

"I take it you've come back from a date with Potter?" (Name) teased.

"Yeah." Lily stopped for a moment, and her brows furrowed with concern. "Hey, are you okay?"

The (h/c) haired girl really considered lying and saying everything was fine but before she could stop herself, the words came tumbling out of her mouth.

"Hey, it's okay." Lily cooed softly, pulling her into an embrace. She ran her hands through her hair, trying to soothe her friend. "I'm sure that's not the case," she told (Name) as the latter explained her fears of Sirius leaving her. "That boy's only got eyes for you, I guarantee it. I saw him talking to this girl the other day and he rejected her, quite harshly too."

This did make the halfblood feel better. If Sirius wasn't really interested in her then surely he wouldn't mind flirting with other girls.

"He told you to take as much space as you need, I think that shows how much he loves you. He wants you to be comfortable with your relationship."

"Yeah, you're right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> boy I'm not sure if this chapter was a good idea, but I wanted to bring up a topic I don't see getting talked about very often: moving too fast. It's not always about being pressured into doing things before you're ready. Sometimes it can just be doing things impulsively (especially in the case of hormonal teenagers) and I wanted to portray a healthy solution to this kind of problem. I hope I was able to achieve that. Communication is absolutely crucial to relationships, and partners should always respect each other's boundaries. Don't be afraid to slow down if things are moving too fast for your liking!


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